“When I grow up…”

 

Shared by Kristina Smedley

For a long time, I thought we were all similar.
That we all have this burning fire inside to learn, to create, to build, and to be impactful.

And honestly, I do think that this potential exists inside of all of us. Maybe some have just never found the dream or the spark to ignite it.

I know for certain that this has always existed inside me.

When I was a little kid, I wanted to own a store when I grew up.
What kind of store – I don’t know. Just a store.

In elementary school, I used to “work” at my uncle Bob’s pharmacy – organizing the nail polish, chatting with the customers, using the cash register to ring them up and take their payments.

My brothers love to share the times I would “hire” them as artists, drawing and painting all sorts of cool 4 and 6-year-old pics. Then, I’d invite my parents and any anyone else I could find to come and purchase them at my art store.

A.K.A. a folding table set up in my bedroom doorway so the clients could walk up and purchase.

Of course, I was the older sister and the owner of the store, so my art was always worth much more than theirs. Makes sense, right? 

Probably my best store was when I opened a fast-food restaurant in our kitchen.

We had a small one-story house, way out in the mountains in Packwood, WA. My parents had built a deck across the entire front of the house, so it was easy to walk up to the kitchen window.

I cooked up some hotdogs and hamburgers, had all the toppings, and maybe a few sides.
Took the screen out of the window,
had the family line up for service,
and I was open for business.

I don’t think my parents let me get away with charging them on that one!

As I’ve grown up, the dream of owning a store has faded (or maybe I just checked that box with Savvy Mattress Outlet), but the burning desire to be creative and impactful always remains.

It’s the desire to use my talents and passions to do something of great benefit within this one life.
To be challenged.
To serve others.
To make a difference.

Breanne and I share this fire and have very similar passions around empowering women, developing confidence and leadership skills, and changing the systemic systems we live within for the better.

Our Mindfluent Leadership journey is just the beginning of what we envision is possible.

 

#InspirationallyImpactful

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