It was mid-March, our bags were packed, and the dog’s paperwork was in order. It was the day before we were to fly to France, and we were watching the news very closely. The EU borders had closed; we thought our visas would get us into the country, but who knew for sure? We certainly didn’t want to arrive at the Paris airport only to be detained or sent back to the States.
So here we are. It’s mid-April now, and we are watching Spring arrive in Georgia. We live in a rural location, we don’t go out much anyway, and we don’t need to try too hard to social distance, since our nearest neighbor is ¼ mile away. Our family is here, safe, and watching out for us.
Make no mistake about it; COVID-19 is a catastrophe. But don’t you think the world is going to change, somehow, when this is all over? I think so, too.
I now have a vision for peace: if everyone in the world can agree to work together to stop the spread of the disease—if we can all agree to wash our hands, social distance, shelter in place, and work from home—then certainly everyone worldwide can decide that peace is possible. What if we all, collectively, said “No more war!” Couldn’t we do that? We are already proving that we are all humans who can work together to bring this tragedy to an end.
For the past month, you may have noticed that I’ve been very quiet. No texts, no emails, no newsletters, no Instagram or Facebook posts. Personally, I’ve been in a hibernation mode of sorts.
I was supposed to go to France and my mind was already in a “no contact” zone.
A quote from Thich Nhat Hanh, shared from a previous post.
I’ve been sequestered in my home and studio-in-the-woods, and I’ve been focused on getting some work done, discovering what the new reality of not going out would be. Although I may not have been communicative, please know that I am thinking of you, and I am moving forward.
For the last six weeks I have also been focusing on a program to better this business of art, and it’s been fun and stimulating to be in “school.” At university, I studied art, not business. As you can imagine, being an entrepreneur is a little nebulous and the parameters of running a small business continue to change.
My business model up to this point has been to produce beautiful creations, sell them, pay my taxes, and buy supplies to produce more beautiful creations. There can be more to it, and I am ready to take this business to the next level. I hope that I can serve you a lot better with care and compassion as I grow as a person, an artist, and an entrepreneur.
I am in B-School with Marie Forleo, and she and the program are changing my life for the better. I am coming to the end of the coursework and I am about to graduate—with your help. If you are willing and have time to help, I have one simple question to ask you.
Marie has challenged me to identify my three strongest, best qualities: my Superpowers, if you will. It’s so hard to recognize one’s own strengths, and I need this information to move forward and better serve my community. What do you come to me and my website for, and where do you see me offering substantial value to the community? If you’re able to share any ideas, it would help me tremendously.
If you would, please leave a comment below (or you can contact me directly), and respond by filling in as many of the headings below as you can:
René’s three superpowers are:
#1 Superpower :
#2 Superpower
#3 Superpower
Thank you! I deeply value your opinion and appreciate your time.
Again, thanks for being here with me. We will certainly get through this pandemic together, and hopefully create a better world built upon our collective experiences.
Sending love your way,
-René
