In a recent yoga class, we had to draw discussion cards. These look a little like tarot cards, with a picture on one side. The card I drew said RISK and had a picture of a lovely fairy about to take a step off the side of a mountain. I know a thing a two about that situation! When is it that opportunities challenge and adventures become risks and are too scary to contemplate? For me it was facing a life threatening illness for the first time, that gave me a whole new perspective. I had been stuck in a marriage that had died many years prior, but was too afraid to do anything about. Once you look death in the face, divorce is a cake-walk! So for me life truly did begin at forty, my career took off, my children were happier, and I felt like I could breathe for the first time in years. Years later I had to face a second and third battle. I had been with my company for over thirty years, and no longer felt a passion for my work. That was when I decided that I had no wish to turn up my toes whilst plodding along in the same job. Suddenly it was clear, and at the age of 60, I announced I was taking early retirement and would seek a new career. I had no idea what that would be or how I would even get health insurance, but, as I had years before, I took a step out into the unknown, with clear conviction that it would work out. Sure enough, a series of coincidences lead to an idea of opening a skin care salon, so before I even had time to get used to being “retired”, I was the oldest esthetician student ever enrolled in a local college. There were many unknowns here – we English are not known to be touchy-feely, and I wasn’t at all sure I was going to be comfortable touching a bunch of women. And I didn’t want to even think about bikini wax. Once the decision had been made however, things just fell into place as if by magic. I loved learning something new, and my time in school flew by. I had been interested in nutrition and healthy life styles for a while, and saw the possibility of making my salon a holistic practice. I wanted to provide top quality skin care, yet at the same time teach people about some of the dangerous things in products we take for granted. The sale and downsizing of my home resulted in enough money to get the basic equipment needed to open a salon, and the perfect room over a Yoga studio, became available to rent. I have found my place and love what I do. I am meeting wonderful new people constantly, and it is very rewarding to provide a beneficial service. It will be a while before I see any profits, but I am confident that I will eventually. Oh and no, I do not offer bikini waxes! The lesson here is simple. Do not wait for a life threatening situation. If you are not happy in one or more areas of your life, do something about it. Think “what is the worst thing that could happen”, and after you weigh everything take a deep breath, and step off that mountain. Sylvia Edwards is a licensed esthetician and the owner of Skin Care at Civano in Tucson AZ.
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