Tapping Into the Power of Quotes

Quotes are powerful.

The other day I was feeling sluggish and grumpy. Often in this state I will resort to scrolling through Instagram (raise your hand if you can relate). Suddenly Letterfolk popped up in my feed declaring, I am into fitness. Fit'ness taco in my mouth. I laughed out loud...one of those great big belly laughs. Needless to say it kicked my grumpiness to the curb. Bam!

Has this ever happened to you? 

Let's face it, life gets tough sometimes. Perhaps it is time to tap into the power of quotes.

For Guidance

Things may not be going your way or maybe just not how you expected. You need guidance to take that next step. Quotes have the power to help you be bold, courageous and determined.

For Motivation

Or maybe you are working towards a goal and you've lost sight of the end. It feels hard and you need motivation to keep going. The right quote in that moment has the power to help you push through and overcome the doubt or to remind you of how great you are.

For Inspiration  

Perhaps you are in a rut. There is a big deadline looming and you are at a loss. You need inspiration to help generate great ideas. Looking up to find a quote on the wall has the power to help you be inspired and see the possibilities once again.

For Joy  

Possibly you are feeling sluggish like I was. For no particular reason. You may need a shot of joy to feel good. With a little quote in front of you it has the power to help you smile or even laugh and remind you that things are going to be just fine.

Are you in need of a quote today? Or maybe a friend comes to mind who needs encouragement. Maybe you want to hang some inspiration on your office wall to help generate ideas. Or simply to make you feel good.

Whatever the reason, I encourage you to tap into the power of a meaningful quote.

Check out the latest instant downloads at rePaperedShop.

3 Reasons to Be Afraid and Do It Anyway

Fear is the greatest roadblock to creativity. 

It is human nature to be fearful of new situations. Whether it is fear of failure, fear of not being perfect or fear of the unknown, we must overcome these fears if we want to create.

1. Fear of Failure

If I'm being honest I'd have to admit that I am a bit of a control freak. No matter the situation I am always thinking ahead of what could go wrong and what needs to be in place in order to prevent the inevitable mishaps - to a fault actually (insert rolling eyes emoji). Because of this, I am sometimes paralyzed to move forward. Typically, I want to have everything figured out before I take the first step so that there is no room for failure.

So when it came to starting up rePaperedShop, it took me quite some time to get the ball rolling. I filled notebook after notebook with research, pitfalls to avoid and red flag items  needing to be ironed out before I would start. I became bogged down with all the things that could go wrong. I kept telling myself, 'Okay I'll start at the first of next month...' and then way too many months went by. I was a little afraid to move forward.

Finally I had to confront myself  (yes, I do talk to myself) and say 'Come on girl! Get it together and just do it!' It will be what it will be and you can work through it. But if you never start, you will never know what could have been. And if it fails, then it was never meant to be.

I was afraid but I had to do it anyway.

2. Fear of The Unknown

When I finally convinced myself to just open shop I suddenly realized what it takes to engage in the ecommerce world. I needed product photos (in natural light of course) with interesting sets and alluring descriptions. I needed pricing for my items and estimates for shipping. I needed strategies for marketing and packaging. I needed a positive online presence and a positive attitude. And I knew nothing about any of this. I was a little afraid to move forward.

Eventually (after talking myself down off the cliff) I decided to cut myself some slack. I don't have to have it all figure out. I can learn as I go. I made a plan to attack one new feature at a time and solve that one before moving on to the next. When I didn't know how to estimate my shipping costs, I started by uploading an approximate number, and then as I took each order to the post office and realized the actual cost I was able to slowly refine my pricing for shipping. Now, I am not out of pocket and my customers are getting the most fair and accurate shipping costs.

I was afraid but I had to do it anyway.

3. Fear of Not Being Perfect

Along with being a control freak, I am also a perfectionist. I wanted to get it right. The first time. But as I started my investigation into what it takes to kick off an online shop I became paralyzed. Should I do it this way, or that? Which is better? What if I choose the wrong one? What if I change my mind? What if I don't like it afterward? What if no one likes it? I was a little afraid to move forward.

After making myself crazy contemplating all the options, I finally came to an important realization...I don't have to have it all figured out on Day 1. I can make adjustments and add features down the road. If I try one avenue and I don't like it or it doesn't work out, I can change it. I just needed to start and so I put a few rudimentary things in place and hit Publish. And you know what? The world did not come crashing down!

I was afraid but I had to do it anyway.

But the greatest tragedy is having fear of taking the first step and never doing it...

Fear is an emotion that doesn't have to rule you. By facing my fears I was able to move past them. I was able to see a way out and talk myself through it - and usually, the reality of the situation is not as great as the feeling of fear itself. Having a plan for my next steps and just moving forward allowed me to realize my goal of opening my Etsy shop. It is not perfect and I still have so much to learn and adjust as I go, but I was determined to not let fear prevent me from achieving my creative dream.

And you can too!