I Almost Gave Up!

I haven't been blogging as much lately because I didn't think anyone was truly interested in what I have to say. I thought I was wasting my time with all of these posts and pictures and ideas. Well, let me go back in time and explain what almost caused me to give up.

I had made up my mind about a month ago. I was going to make about 100 pieces of jewelry and sell every last one at the flea market, here, in Conway, SC. Turns out, not many people actually shop at flea markets. Not the kind of people who would be interested in my jewelry anyway. So I decided to go to a more popular flea market. I called the manager and got all of the information I needed, and once I was ready to go down to the flea market to rent a table, she told me that they were over crowded with hand made jewelry and she wasn't accepting any more at this time. I was heart broken. I felt like it was finally my moment to prove to everyone that this wasn't just some pointless hobby. I wanted to prove to everyone that I can be successful. I wanted to prove to everyone that I was right and they were wrong. But that moment didn't happen when I thought it would.

So I stopped making jewelry for a few weeks. Everyone that I told about the flea market plan was going to come out and support me but that wasn't good enough for me. A part of me really wanted to meet new people who were willing to take a chance on me and believe in the product that I was presenting to them. I didn't want all of my friends to show up and support me, only because they felt sorry for me. I wanted to feel like people were genuinely excited for me to succeed. Now that I look back on the situation, I realize how selfish that sounds. I should have been excited that the people who know me wanted to be there to support me, but at the time I didn't see it that way. I was ready to give up.

But then I realized that I started making jewelry as a hobby. It made me feel good to know that I had jewelry that made me feel pretty. Jewelry that no one else had. Jewelry that other people actually admired and wanted. I didn't need the approval of anyone else. I was in love with every piece of jewelry that I made, and if no one ever bought one piece, I was okay with that.

At that moment, when I decided to stop worrying about what other people thought of me, something amazing happened. When I started wearing my jewelry with confidence, people took notice. When I was comfortable putting a price on my product, people began to pay attention. And little by little, people started buying my jewelry! I would wear a necklace to work, and by the end of the day, someone wanted to buy it from my neck! I couldn't believe that people were attracted to my jewelry, and I didn't even have to try! Once I became confident in my pieces, other people saw the beauty in my jewelry that I saw.

Now, I thank God every day for this wonderful gift. The gift he has given me is worth more than all of the money in the world. I have been given the gift of creativity! I wake up every morning with a thought in my head, which I am then able to translate into a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry. I am proud of every piece of jewelry that I make. It gives me pleasure to know that I created a piece that another woman is wearing. Not because she felt sorry for me, but because she felt like something I had created was worth having at that very moment. For that I am forever grateful. If a successful business comes out of this hobby, that is great. If it doesn't, that is great too. I just want to show my children that you can do whatever you want to do in life, as long as it makes you happy, and you never give up. I just want to say thank you to my subscribers for actually taking time to listen to my story, and show interest in my hobby. Thank you =)