My column last month (September 2004) on how Cindy Harris is following her passion by developing her tea business stimulated many of you to write, so I am sharing the following conversation with all of you this month.

Jessica, writes "About two months ago, I made a decision to move back to my hometown of Rochester, New York, from New York City. I had been living in New York for the past ten years, trying to make it to Broadway as an actress. For a long time I was depressed and felt ready to give up on my career. Something in me kept nagging and telling me that there is something waiting for me at home. So, I moved back!

Getting Back into Flow

To make a long story short, ever since coming back I have been meeting and networking with the most helpful people. I just had lunch with a friend who knows about playwriting grants. It just so happens that now is the time to apply, so we are putting in an application. So many good things are starting to happen. For example, I got a great new job working at a community center. I am going out with friends more often. I am meeting actors and dance professionals and other people with my interests. I realize that I feel safer practicing my art here in a smaller city. New York seems like the logical place to be for any serious artist, but the truth is that I have never really been comfortable there. I am a small town girl at heart. I feel very optimistic about my career now, and I know that I need to trust my instincts and follow my intuition. I know there is a reason I moved here."

Don't Give Up

Tina writes, "I am inspired by Cindy's story, Come For Tea, and it came just at the perfect time. Four months ago, as I stood once again in my kitchen making homemade baby food from fresh fruits and vegetables, my husband reached his arms around my waist and thanked me for spending so much time to ensure that our first and only child had the healthiest food available. Physically tired and mentally drained from a full day's work at my paying job and months of the same routine, I responded, 'I 'd do it for ten more babies if I had that many.' Immediately, even through my exhaustion, the thought popped into my mind, I CAN make it for other babies. They don't have to be my own! Babies deserve better and not all parents have the time to make their own organic food. I set out to educate myself about starting a food business, using every spare moment that I wasn't working on my paying job or spending quality time with my family to do research. My husband supported me but was skeptical regarding the FDA regulations, etc. and how difficult it would be to have a successful business with Gerber on grocer's shelves all around the country. I persisted for months, but got so tired and burned out, I was beginning to get discouraged.

"At lunch today, I decided to just read a good book instead of packing in more knowledge about the food industry. At the same time, I felt as if I were giving up on my idea, and almost put the book down. But I didn't. The book was The Celestine Prophecy which I had read years before. But several friends and acquaintances had mentioned it recently, and so I took those hints as what is meant to be. As I was reading, I had the urge to look at the back cover where I read about James Redfield and The Celestine Journal. I found the site on the Internet and read the inspiring story about Cindy Harris and her tea company. When I read the paragraph titled, Feed your Passion, which says, 'if you have a business idea rooted in something you care about--go for it.' I began to cry because I believe that it was once again synchronicity. It is giving me my second wind to continue and not give up. I can get back on track, and appreciate the obstacles. I can do it if I follow my heart."

Messages Abound

I thought you might also like this great license plate story from my good friend, Cori Kenicer, who recently moved to Arizona. She says, "I registered my car in 2002 as a new Arizona resident and was assigned a random license plate number. In January 2004 I started Kenicer Golf Marketing, LLC, which for short I refer to as KGM. Later, I had to write down the license plate number to register for a parking place and when I went to look at it, I realized the letters were KGM. Hmmm. Then in March 2004 I signed my first contract for the new business, actually on March 17 (3/17). I happened to look at the license plate again. The full license plate number is 317 KGM."

Happy October,
Carol Adrienne