Day Five: Reflections

Starting a business has been the hardest journey of my life. I often struggle with confidence in my decisions. It’s hard to accept that you can’t always make everyone happy, that many choices to make are tough, especially when you’re 22 and have a lot of learning to do. It’s easy to get overwhelmed thinking about how many odds are going against your success in a sea of competition, of circumstances that are out of your control, of people who don’t support what you’re doing. I’ve thought about giving up. Before this trip I felt a little lost. But through meeting these women, I’ve been re-inspired. I believe now more than ever that we all have a purpose. That things seem to suddenly come together when you’re not expecting them to.

These women taught me to accept the things that I cannot control, and to focus on what I can. That friendships, laughter, treasuring those who love you, and looking forward is the path to happiness. They gave me the gift of perspective, of newfound appreciation, and of truly understanding just how powerful the human spirit is. That communication and compassion can be felt without words. They’ve taught me to open my eyes more to life and that even in the most horrific circumstances, there is beauty to be found. That things can and will happen that we can’t control, but it is our choice whether or not it makes us stronger. They’ve made me a better person. They’ve made me more determined. They’ve made me more passionate. They’ve given me courage.

We often take so much for granted. We often overlook the simple things we're blessed with- the ability to take a walk through the park, to go for a swim in the ocean, to hike up a mountain and watch a sunset, to dance, to drive a car, ride a bike, go ice skating, to walk down the aisle on that special day. 

We complain when things don't go our way, we nitpick and focus so much on the bad instead of appreciating the good. But health, family, & friendships are the most important things we have. Material wealth is nothing if you don't have this. We’ll never be satisfied or happy if we constantly focus on what we don’t have because there is always more to be had, more to be made, more we can be doing. We all have the ability to control our lives and our destiny more than we know we’re capable of. And we’re all a lot stronger than we think too.

Through creativity and design, we found a common ground to understand one another despite our language barrier. We laughed, we cried, we danced, we hugged. I never would have thought I could become so close with a group of strangers in 3 days whom I couldn't communicate with. 

Each is unique in their story, their personality, their hobbies, their perspectives, their styles- yet they all share the same optimism and strength. They taught me how to relook at life and its challenges, and for that, I am forever grateful.