On Becoming Me
Confidence. There is Confidence that comes with turning 50. You might think it would be a quiet confidence, but it’s a velvet hammer. I thought 50 would be just a number. But it is more. Something shifted imperceptibly overnight. I married me. I came home to me. Suddenly I didn’t care that I’m not who I’m supposed to be because it’s okay to be who I already was. Its ok to be me. It’s like letting my stomach out when I have been holding it in. I have finally returned to who I was born to be. The me I always was but could only discover returning from another.
Like the prodigal son I had to go away in order to come home. I do. I do. I do. I choose me. I have this memory of me age 5 running in the back yard with my Barbie. Mom made my Barbie a white brocade wedding dress for Charles and Diana’s wedding, & I tied a pillow case to my head & ran through the green grass in my red cowboy boots and my white veil flapped like a cape in the wind. I held my arms out like wings with Barbie clutched in my right hand. At 50 I find I have returned to that little girl. Oh my cape is much more chic now. Maybe even refined. But at heart, that scarf billowing in the wind is me running wild & free. The more I sink into 50 the more I sink into me. The me that I already was at 5, but I spent the next 45 years seeking other - other peoples beliefs, ideas and rules.
Duck the Rules. I don’t live by other peoples rules. I live by me. And so now, at 50 I start shedding other people’s projections like taking off garments that were never meant to be mine. When I was a child, I dreamed I could be anything I wanted to be. So I tried on hats and jackets and bowling shirts and boleros. Some of these outfits were fun but none of the outifits made me feel as good as I feel when I’m wearing my own skin. At 50 I know what I think and why. I am not afraid to disagree. I strip off societal expectations- my parent’s expectations- my exes imprinting- what I am left with is the same 5 year old girl I started out to be. At 5 I could be anything. At 50 I can be me.
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Custom, private 1:1 training sessions ideal for new – and nearly new – antiques specialists who want to fast-track your profitability as an antique dealer.
Our vision is to equip antique dealers with the tools and resources they need to sell antiques and become thought leaders shaping the future of antiques. Our team of experts provide a laser-focused program on how to build an antiques business to complement your knowledge of decorative arts. Successful decorative arts or appraisal programs focus on the study of antiques, their origin and their worth; we teach you the Business of Antiques.
Our program is individually tailored to meet your needs wherever you are in the process of becoming an antiques dealer. If you’re just embarking on the journey of starting a new business we can help you from concept to launch. If you’re an established successful dealer who knows you are missing sales - or want to tap into a new market - we work with you to evaluate your current business and identify areas for growth opportunities and create a targeted, actionable plan.
Our sessions are one-on-one and are highly collaborative conversations that allow us to dive deep into what works specifically for you and your business.
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