hold down the power key and restart

there's no substitute for taking a system offline and re-booting.
every now and then a glitch may occur.
add enough of them together and you have issues.
it happens with machines. it happens with the workplace. it happens with people.

the first year in the new store was difficult for anyone who had to work with me.
the new space, new programs, new employees, new systems and a whole lot of new stress kept me on razor's edge.
i was short tempered, snapped easily, dithered, vacillated and wondered
when in the hell i was ever going to get control of my surroundings.
that was then.

it takes a while to sift through the daily business and see what works.
find a rhythm. feel your way through.
moving forward creates it's own momentum and when that momentum slows,
even a bit, it's like a jolt to the system.
it's at these times i need to feng shui my surroundings,
sort through my messes and make soap.
making soap steadies my course, eases my worries.
making soap is one of the certain things i've come to count upon.
it has become a way to even the keel whenever someone is rocking the boat.
eventually, a certain level of boat rocking makes me sea sick.
that's when i know it's time to reboot.

seeing a thing as a whole as well as the sum of it's parts is no small feat
but it does give a clearer perspective on my relationship to it.
being the engine that drives the business is my responsibility, my role.
everything else has to work in concert with the engine.
that doesn't always happen.

we recently implemented a set of new rules.
it's difficult for anyone who's been around to slip into a new way of doing things.
that's fine. after all, glitches...
it's usually at times like these that many small businesses clear house
and begin with a fresh crop of employees.
all things considered, my approach is to add new people to the mix.
people who can offer something we lack.
usually people who already have a full-time job and are looking for a couple extra dollars to pay off mounds of student loan debt. a few hours here, a few there. it's a win win for everyone while we continue the transition into new territories.

i like things the way i like them.
as the boss, that's my prerogative.
i no longer dither, vacillate or wonder.
the future is clearly mapped for me.
i know where i want to go and how to get there.
while i ponder my next move,
we’re all going take a moment to reflect on the many small businesses going under
and just be grateful for having a job.