Good evening!
This post is coming straight from the heart!!!
So I am just going to write everything I am feeling right now. Bear with me!
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Make Your Dreams Comes True…Yes, YOU!
Today ranked up there in the top 5 moments of my life.
I am so grateful for the support I have received with Glo Bakery, I can’t even begin to describe it.
I was so overcome with emotion when I saw how excited you were to be ordering my bars. I just kept wanting to pinch myself and truly savour this moment today. One which I will never forget. To have other people be excited, enthusiastic and supportive of my business, is only something I dreamed of early in 2009.
I thought, "Even though I have this vision that I want to do with all my heart, I just have so many doubts that I have what it takes to make it come to fruition."
My negative thoughts were indeed daunting at times and I would be lying if I still didn’t have them.
As I was furiously baking my heart out in the kitchen, lugging 50 pound bags of oats, cleaning, packaging, and trying not to let my head spin off, something occurred to me.
And you know what that was?
It occurred to me that if you keep the faith and work your butt off, you can do anything you want!
One of my favourite quotes says it all:
"The only place where dreams are impossible is in your own mind." ~Emalie
Just think about it for a moment. Had I not silenced those negative thoughts in my mind, I would never have had the courage to start up a business. You know where I would be? Stuck in my old job, miserably unhappy, saying to myself, ‘I just am not lucky with my career like some people are.‘ And oh yes, I said that to myself many times.
I am here to tell you that you don’t need to be stuck in a miserable job or pursuing a degree that makes you unhappy.
When I was in grad school, I felt it in my heart that it wasn’t the right place for me. I didn’t feel like I was being true to myself from day 1.
I had that little voice inside my head telling me that I would not be happy doing this for my career. I saw other students who lived and breathed the program and my heart just wasn’t in it like they seemed to be. And you know what? I felt extreme guilt over this. Why couldn’t I get into it like them? Why couldn’t I be as passionate about grad school as they seemed to be? Why couldn’t I sit in a lab for 14 hours a day and enjoy it?
The guilt doesn’t come from that voice inside of us. The guilt is what silences the voice!
Guilt tries to tell us that we are less of a person and that we are not worthy of being happy. It tries to tell us that something is wrong with us.
The guilt also largely comes from the expectations that we think others have of us. What society expects of us. What we think is expected of women in general. Whether those expectations that we feel are true or not, they only serve one purpose- to divert us from listening to our hearts.
Guilt is a distraction from finding our authentic selves.
I think so many of us women feel that we have to prove something. I know I did. I felt like I had to prove to everyone that I could get my degrees, make lots of money, and be successful. Well, none of that matters if it isn’t what you truly want to do in your heart!
No amount of success matters when you are unhappy. For me, it just added to my guilt. I co-authored on a book chapter straight out of grad school. Very exciting, right? Well, I couldn’t appreciate it because my heart wasn’t in it. I felt like I was regurgitating some unauthentic psychology babble instead of being able to speak from my heart. Yes, I may have written the book chapter, but I can’t truly say that I am proud of it in the full sense of the word.
I have received so many emails from many of you who feel stuck in your current situation.
I think the first step is taking a moment to reflect on the little voice inside of your head. It may be difficult at first because it has probably been silenced for a long time.
When I did this last year this is what I heard:
1) Help women love themselves and stop depriving themselves. Show them how to be healthy, to eat good foods, and to nurture their bodies and minds. Teach them what you have learned!
2) Start an online healthy bakery.
I think the this is a crucial first step that everyone should reflect on.
I want you to tell me what the voice inside you is telling you.
If you knew you could not fail, what would you do?
While the question seems simple, it is very telling.
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. ~John Quincy Adams
PS- More Glo Bar variety packs have been added!!
Angela, congrats on living the dream! If I could do anything, I would get a Masters in Gastronomy and work for a beautiful winery doing PR/,Marketing/Events.
P.S. Just thought I would tell you I had a nightmare about green monsters last night! I was at a smoothie shop and all of the blenders started breaking and I was shouting “All I want is a kale smoothie!” Haha what goes on in this head of mine?
OMG… Meghan… Masters in Gastronomy and work for a beautiful winery in communications (promoting Canadian wine!) is EXACTLY what I would do if I knew I could not fail.
Good luck to you :) and all others. Dream big – and thanks Angela for getting us to in the v. least type these aspirations out! You gotta start somewhere. ;)
Totally agree….I didint even ASK myself what I really wanted to do until last year!
Sitting where I am, it’s very hard to look at you and know that you never thought you’d succeed- you seem destined to be a excel in all aspects of life from what I read on your blog! (that’s a compliment by the way!) With a positive attitude and your high energy, I believe that the sky’s the limits! Congrats on the beginning of something wonderful!
Congratulations! I said it before and I’ll say it again…It’s amazing the difference a year makes! But that being said, things don’t change unless you do something to make them change. You’ve worked hard for this success and you deserve all of the success that is coming your way!
I would drop everything and move to Africa and be a documentary photographer I have the degree, the equipment, the passion to want to change the world but not enough money to leave or live there if I couldn’t sell photos right away. I know I belong in Africa and everyday I am in Philadelphia feels like a waste. It is hard for me to stay positive in my current situation:(
Angela-
You are an inspiration to all us women! I am happy to play a little part in your U.S. launch(I placed an order-LOL)I could probably buy similar bars cheaper and closer to my home BUT they would not be made with the same love, joy, caring and enthusiam that you are putting into your products. I can hardly wait to get my order!!!
What would I do if I knew I could not fail? I’m still thinking on that one!
Congratulations on the success of your bakery :-) It is obvious in how you write about what you do that you are passionate about baking with real, wholesome ingredients and in feeding people wholesome, delicious food :-)
Congratulations on your success!!
This post rocks! I’m with you all the way :-)
If I could do anything and not fail I would jump right into the relationship that I just started, not be worried about what everyone else thinks and live my life. I would start studying harder for the GRE’s and apply for the program this year and not next. I want my master’s and the one thing in life I want if I was assured it would not fail would be for this relationship to be the right one.
Congratulations on all of your wonderful success! you are truly an inspiration to me. I started being a healthier person the night I found your blog. Thank you for blogging and sharing your life with us!
What a great post, I was at an Networking event this afternoon that talked about women having to prove themselves. What is in our nature that makes us do that? That topic has been on my mind so much lately!
I want to find the dream job that allows me to help women start business all around the world, while traveling and enjoying good food and wine.
Angela,
I just walked in the house after finding out that my position is being eliminated. My last day will be November 2. Thank you so much for baring your soul and sharing your life with us. I have no idea what I’m going to do as my next job. Whatever it is, i’m going to make sure it makes me happy. I’m off to order me some glo bars to celebrate my independence!! Congrats to you and your very very bright future!
xx
Stephanie
Stephanie, my heart goes out to you! I know you will turn it around..you have a positive spirit and no one can take that away from you! Keep me posted :)
Congrats! I’m still in the process of trying to figure out what my dream is so I can go after it. Reading your series about your job has really hit home with me. I’m in a job that is okay…but I’d love to be in a job that makes me as excited as you are about your bakery. One day!
Congrats again on your bakery opening!
Angela…I can’t tell you how much your 7 part story has affected me. You are such an amazingly strong person and you really do inspire others!!!
If I could do anything…and succeed. I’d go full force into a singing career. I’d play bars, dives, hotels and get to the the top….I get beyond my stage fright and be who I want to be.
if only it were that easy:)
B
Angela, you made me cry! Thank you so much for posting this. I am going through a very rough time at work because I know that I am on the wrong path. I have decided in the past couple of days to finally follow my heart and pursue my dreams. It’s really an inspiration to hear a success story of someone who did the same thing. I can’t thank you enough…and congrats!!!
Thank you for sharing your journey with us. It’s inspiring to think of how far you’ve come and how awesome the journey is.
congrats angela! you have come such a long way and so many of us have been with you through it all. I first saw these bars in blog world and wondered where they came form bceause they looked ubberly delicous! then I discovered YOU! :) you deserve everything you have and have accomplished! embrace it! I wish you the best of luck!
Congrats Ange! :-) You are so inspiring and amazing. :-D
Angela, you are an inspiration to me and your posts, quotes, and advice always gives me a little boost! Thanks for sharing your healthy journey with us (and your awesome tips and recipes!)
What a great moment for you: enjoy it to the fullest!
Wonderful post, Ange. I really want to own my own business one day, and this was just what I needed to hear. I will make my dream come true one day! Thanks for the jolt of inspiration. :-)