Dear Ms. Spiritual Matters,
My husband is a hard-working, well-educated man. He has achieved fame and fortune. I, however, look like a slacker compared to him. After high school, I tried college, but dropped out. It just wasn’t for me. I took a retail job selling men’s clothing. In fact, that is where my husband and I met.
When we go out with other couples, I am asked what I do. I hesitate to say I work at Martin’s Men’s Shop. I tell people I am in “retail sales.” Then, I quickly turn the conversation back toward them asking what they do.
I like my job. I am the only staff member who can do alterations. I also make one-of-a kind ties. I learned the love of sewing from my dear grandmother. I administer payroll for the 10 employees at Martin’s. People say I run the place. The owner is in his late 70s and only stops in once in a while. I might like to take over when and if he is willing to sell. My husband and I have a nest egg so this would be a possibility.
I am writing to ask you what I should do.
Sincerely,
Clarrissa
Dear Clarrissa,
You are creative. You have a dream. With these attributes, you can put a plan into action to make your dream come alive.
Pat yourself on the back because you have already met one of the laws of attraction that says, “Decide what you want…believe you can have it, believe you deserve it, believe it is possible for you.” These are not the characteristics of a “slacker.”
I encourage you to make a roadmap toward owning the store. First, approach the owner and ask him his thoughts about selling. If he hasn’t considered this before, set up a meeting wherein you can sit down and determine the value of the business and his willingness to consider you as a buyer. Take this information and discuss the financial and time commitments with your husband.
Good wishes that this business becomes yours. Then, when you are asked what you do, you can say you are a small business owner. Never forget the people in the room who, like you today, are without the means to buy a business. We need all kinds of good people to make the world run smoothly.
Ms. Spiritual Matters
Susan Schoenbeck holds Baccalaureate and Master’s degrees in nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is an experienced educator and teaches nursing students at Walla Walla University — Portland, Oregon campus. She is an oblate of a Benedictine Monastery where she learned centering and contemplative meditation practices. She is author of the book, Zen and the Art of Nursing, Good Grief: Daily Meditations, and Near-Death Experiences: Visits to the Other Side.