What a week we have all been through. Living in the Seattle area, my family has definitely felt the impacts of all the recent panic, uncertainty and change in our area. Stores have empty shelves, schools are closed for several weeks and businesses are shutting down temporarily and indefinitely.
How has this impacted your life? How is it effecting your business? As a small business owner myself, I want to give some encouragement as this has affected every aspect of my business. As a wardrobe stylist, I don’t work in a typical office. The malls and boutiques in my area are my office. With that being said, I don’t get the luxury of working from home. Although anyone can order clothes online themselves my clients hire me specifically to avoid having to do so. They need the personal relationship, opinions, lead and encouragement to purchase items needed. I also work in the beauty industry as a makeup artist and Spring and Summer are my busiest months for weddings and events, which all of March and April have been canceled!
Where does this leave my business? Should I be in fear? How can I help my clients feel at ease? So many questions and little answers are being given.
Personally, I have given it all to God! He is enough for me! Trust him during crisis. As I have learned to do so with every hardship in my life where I have felt defeated and saw no light, he has seen me through it all every single time!
I also feel the need to be the peace in my family. I think as a mom I feel the duty to keep my husband and kids minds at ease as best as possible. Being the role model for the family is key to keeping peace at home and trying to maintain as much normalcy as possible. Pray with your kids, answer their questions, try to have them avoid the news on TV and social media as much as possible. Having older kids it makes this difficult to keep this moderate and I am getting numerous calls throughout the day from my girls on how they think they are dying and this is the end of the world. Go to God’s words, not man’s opinions. This has been my moto for a while but now more than ever! Of course this is serious, of course you should be careful, of course you should take care of yourself and loved ones but with so many opinions it will make anyone go crazy in fear!
God says, “See to it that no one misleads you” He is enough reassurance for me.
I also plan to take advantage of this time off with my family. Maybe this is what we needed? Maybe I needed to slow down and take a break? Maybe my son in elementary and my daughter in collage needed a break from all of the pressure and deadlines? Maybe my husband needed a reset in his work life? We are constantly on the go, in traffic, rushing around from client to client, planning my next big event, picking up kids from school, working around everyone’s schedule.
It never slows down! This is my time to slow down!
With everything, I am trying my best to see the light in it all. I hope you can too. Stay safe, check on your neighbors and community. Support one another. The light will start to shine bright soon!
God will heal our land!
“He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 31:8