My deepest fear

I'm really feeling this quote right now. It seems it's my own fears that keep me from being all I can be. I have such an amazing opportunity before me, and all I have to do is believe in myself and do everything I've ever wanted to do. It's an amazing yet frightening feeling. It's truly inspiring. :)

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
- Marianne Williamson (from A Return to Love)

Yay Job!!!

I feel I have so much to update everyone on!

We just got back from an amazing, relaxing, and refreshing trip to Florida.  It seems every trip to Florida makes us feel refreshed and renewed.  I think the ocean has something to do with it. ;)

We literally spent every day at the beach while we were there.  The boys are turning into quite the little surfer dudes!

So, an update on the life of the Allens:  Things seem to change day to day on this great adventure, but things are slowly falling into place.

The first big announcement – I got a job!!  It is the one I spoke about in the previous post.  It’s for a company called JunkRecycling.  It is a junk removal company that does everything possible to keep the junk they collect from going into the landfill.  They’ll break things apart and recycle what they can, and if they get furniture, they sell it at their thrift store called The Regeneration Station.  That’s where I come in!  I am the new manager of The Regeneration Station!  I’ll be in charge of getting the store in order, networking with other business and organizations, and working with local artists who come in and redo these old pieces of furniture.  And, I’ll get to redo some stuff myself and get all crafty and creative all the time!  They also do a lot of community work giving away beds and couches to area families in need.  And we’ll be throwing fun events and host kid craft nights with all the scrap materials we collect.  Lots and lots and lots of possibilities!

“But Kim,” you may be asking, “you are a teacher…you’ve never worked retail before.  What are you doing managing a retail store??!”

I asked myself those same questions when I had this weird inkling (that would NOT go away) to apply for the position after seeing the ad posted on Craigslist.  I ran across it one day and thought it sounded neat, but I dismissed it thinking, “Get real, Kim.”  Then Dustin and I went to this festival while down in Louisiana with our friend Kim who owns the Downtown Gypsy (and who is my creative, crafty mentor).  I told her about the job posting and we started talking about all the fun things we could do with all the “junk” that is collected.  It got my creative juices flowing, so I decided, why not?  I sent in my resume and cover letter the next day.

About a week later, I got a call from Tyler, the owner of Junk Recycling.  He said he read over my cover letter and really liked my energy and spirit (yay!).  We did a short phone interview and made plans for a face to face interview the day after we got to North Carolina.  The first interview went great, and Tyler and I hit it off immediately.  He has a lot of big ideas for the company and just needs someone to hop on board and help make it all become a reality. 

We scheduled a second interview for later on that week for which I had to basically come up with a plan of what I would do with the store if it were mine.  I presented my plan and shared my ideas (that include LOTS of fun events with local art studios and shops!), and he loved it.  He said that he’s had many of the same ideas and that it seemed I really understood who they are as a company and what their vision is for the future.  He called me on Tuesday and offered me the job!

He admitted that on paper, I am not qualified for this job at all (other than my business experience with School of Rock).  He said that it came down to me and one other guy, and the other guy had all the retail experience they wanted.  (He actually had me going for a minute thinking that I didn’t get the job.)  But then he went on to say why he chose me over the other guy.  He said that he really liked my energy, passion, and enthusiasm.  He said that he could tell I was creative and a go-getter and that he had this hunch that I could be the one to grow with the company. 

So even though I have a TON to learn about running a retail store, I know that I can do it.  I really enjoyed the business side of School of Rock, so I’m excited to utilize those talents and abilities again and see what I can do with this.  When we decided to move to Asheville and I started the job hunt, I just kept affirming over and over again that I wanted to be used for good however I could.  I wanted to see what good I could offer the community and get involved however I can.  Then this came up and I just feel deep down that it is right! 

I start Monday morning, so keep me in your thoughts! J

Regarding everything else with getting our lives started here, Dustin has a couple of job prospects lined up that he’ll look into more this week, and he’s going to get registered for fall classes to finish his degree.  

We’re still on the hunt for a home, so keep the positives vibes coming!!

Love you all!

Kim

We live in North Carolina!!!!

We did it! We packed up our entire home in a Uhaul (barely...I'm good at underestimating how much stuff I own) and we drove 12 hrs to our adorable and perfect cabin in Black Mountain, NC. The drive was...ok. I almost became a two-time divorcee a few times, but we made it. ;)

Seriously though, things couldn't have gone better. My husband and I freaking rock and are so good together. He's my best friend and partner in this journey, and sometimes I sit in awe of the love we share. He's my love. My Bu. This move has done nothing but make us stronger and closer. And grateful! We were both near tears last night sitting out on the deck under the mountain stars. When we think about how amazing and happy our lives are, we are overwhelmed with gratitude and often times don't feel deserving.

We definitely have our work cut out for us over the next several weeks. But we are filled with such energy and enthusiasm that we view the situation not as "how are we going to make this work???" but rather, "how are we going to be used here?". This is such an amazing community and we both are going to have the opportunity to get involved in things and literally do whatever we want. There's so many options!

I actually had a job interview yesterday with a local junk removal/recycling company who is now opening a thrift store of sorts selling all re-purposed, refurbished used furniture. They're really active in the community by giving away a lot of furniture to families in need, and they have the opportunity to expand even more. I go back for a second interview on Friday, so I'll give more details after that. But keep me in your thoughts!

Long story short, we are extremely excited to be here and can't wait to see what good we can offer the community. We're both really keeping our employment options open and just seeing what opportunities come up as we explore the community.

And being with the boys...oh my goodness. This little cabin has been filled with so much joy the past two days. I love waking up to cuddles from Julien (who has decided he now wants to be called "Jax", haha). He came in this morning and just wrapped his arms around me and said, "I love you my little snowball!" then threw his head back for that ha ha ha Julien laugh. Then he ran out and ran back in a minute later crying, "I just wanna hold you!" and attacked me with a hug. :) I mean, who can complain when they get to wake up to that cuteness in the morning? ;)

Well, there's no Internet at the cabin and barely any cell signal, so my Internet availability will be sparse. I'll make it to a coffee shop with some wifi here soon so I can update more.

Thank you all so much for all your thoughts, prayers, and support!! Our hearts can feel all that love! :)