Chapter 2: Digging Deep

... a behind the scenes look into my book (Part 4).

Photo by Eilis Garvey on Unsplash

Here’s me reading Chapter 2. The adorable part comes in toward the end when Gavin enters the room and asks lots of questions about the words I’m reading out loud. You should hear his astonishment when he finds out I WROTE THIS BOOK. :)

This chapter felt a lot more like “me” than the previous one. I think a lot of times in life we are chasing one thing after another. We leave safe but uncomfortable situations to find more comfortable ones. And I think there is a lot to be said about STAYING. When we find ourselves in a friendship, a neighborhood, a company, or a particular school - we will find it in our best interest to dig in deep there. Stay even when it’s hard and grow deep roots of stability that will help us weather the storms of life.

I think this is one reason as we are about to start looking for a new church that we would prefer to find one that either is physically close to us OR has a large population of people from our school/neighborhood as attendees. I value staying close to where we live and investing in relationships with people around me.

It’s also timely for me to read this as I think about which real estate broker I want to work for. There may be ones out there that give bigger commission splits or more training, but are located further away from my home and neighborhood.

For me, digging in deep and blooming where I’ve been planted is a big value of mine that I think I have forgotten about in recent years.

It also validates why I feel so relieved after deciding to NOT make influencing my main gig and to help people buy, sell and decorate homes in my physical geographical area instead. I’m not sure if you can see it, but Instagram stories have felt much lighter and less forced for me since I made that decision. But this also could just be another result of me listening to the value and lesson from Chapter 1 of “standing down” and not trying to force things to go a certain direction.

Maybe my book is making a bigger impact on me than I thought it would!

I had forgotten until I read this chapter out loud that we had plans to move to Iraq. Geez! Did that surprise anyone?!

Later chapters will explain why we didn’t end up going overseas, but I can hardly imagine what our life would look like if we had. I’m so glad the wind blew and we ended up in Michigan. And I’m so glad I’ve learned how to STAY and DIG DEEP ROOTS and BLOOM where I am - despite the harsh conditions or unmet expectations.

As for real estate and home design - it’s going to get tough. It’s going to start to feel uncomfortable at some point, but I want to remember the value of blooming where I’m planted and digging in deep to see what just might happen if I do.

Excited to have you along for the ride!