As we celebrate the 15-year anniversary of Absolutely Permanent Hair Removal and the launch of our new Absolutely Healthy Living Center, I want to thank everyone who has passed through my life and who has walked through our doors seeking results. You have been part of a growth journey that began in 2002.
That year I graduated from the Electrology Institute of New England and I found a small space in the back of the building where our newly renovated AHL Center is today.
A year later, I asked Mr. Calandro, the owner, if he had a bigger space available that I could look at because I knew then that I would be needing room to grow. That’s when he showed me the famous Suite 201, and I LOVED it! It was so clean and spacious and sunny! Much growth would take place in Suite 201.
Six months ago, I spoke with Debbie Palko to let her know I wanted to expand into a healthy living center and was looking for 2 or 3 additional offices. She said there was going to be some shifting of offices and that she would get back to me as soon as she would have more information. Six weeks later she informed me that I could have the 3 offices right behind the space I was already occupying. I remember running back to my office to tell Miriam, my assistant, and together doing the happy dance.
So, I not only got the additional space I was looking for, but as a bonus I didn’t have to pack any boxes, hire a moving truck, or change my address or location. How great was that? I can only be thankful, and grateful!
Life is full of surprises and at times ushers in unplanned detours, and turns, and jumps, and stretches in order that we stay our course, reach our goals, remain consistent - or just survive! In 15 years, I have done all of the above and, needless to say, I have become a different person.
Throughout my life I’ve been intimidated by bosses, by men, and by women. I’ve been intimidated by others who had certain characteristics, for example, of being too self-assured, too demanding, too insecure, too negative; or ones who exuded a certain air of rootedness, and self-confidence. I was intimidated by my own ideas of accomplishing things, and by the ever-growing world of technology.
Then one day something happened. I made the choice to no longer allow other persons, or things, to have undue power over me, over my emotions, my feelings, and my responses. This happened after a careful and penetrating look inside my inner core.
This is a road less travelled for many, and was not easy. This is not something that happens over night. It takes time and different life skills and much thoughtful inner work. It’s like performing surgery on your self. Cutting yourself open, and then looking inside at all that mess that needs to be reconfigured, cleaned up and rearranged in order to make room for growth and progress. It requires being bold, honest and courageous.
I chose to be strong. I chose to love myself more. I chose to be happy in spite of anything that happened in my life. I chose to be happy no matter what I was hurting for, no matter what I was sorry for, no matter what I was failing at, and no matter if someone could not handle my being happy. I chose to be happy anyway and I chose to be happy every day.
Once I discovered that happiness is a choice and that success is a choice, and being optimistic is a choice, I chose to be happy and optimistic. I chose to be successful no matter what life handed me, and no matter how much or little life gave me.
Two Boxes
I own two boxes. They are beautifully and colorfully wrapped with blue ribbon and mint green bows. One is wrapped in a black and white polka dot design and the other in a rainbow stripe design. They are symbolic of something very important in my life. The box on the left is symbolic of Thankfulness and the box on the right is symbolic of Gratefulness.
That is where I reside these days. I live in Thankfulness and in Gratefulness because of all the good that has happened in my life and all the good things that have come into my life in the past 15 years. As a side point I want to mention that while all has not been roses (because as you know, rose bushes come with many more thorns than roses), I chose to look at the many thorns as the challenges needed to be overcome in order for growth and development to take place.
The growth that has taken place, especially in the past 6 years, has been phenomenal. It has brought me into this overall sense of calm in life, a healthy comfort of being who I truly am, and as a result of that, there’s an unbelievable amount of peace from within.
15 years and two boxes later I am ready for 15 more years of entrepreneurial growth and many more boxes full of appreciation for all that life gives – the roses along with the thorns.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being part of this journey.