This song will be in your head all day. You're welcome.
But really, what's love got to do with it? With anything? My answer: everything.
Take marriage for example. Love in marriage is everything. Now what is love, you ask? In my humble opinion, love is a choice. Contrary to popular belief that definition of love is:
LOVE (/ləv/): the overwhelming feeling of being deeply and madly connected on the deepest human level possible that brings about the most joyous of emotions known to man kind and with the smallest amount of effort this feeling is sustained as you ride off into the abyss of marital bliss, happily ever after, forever and ever, amen.
Sorry guys, it's not. At least not the second part. For the sake of my want to do the least amount of work and reap the biggest reward, I wish it were true. But, it's not.
Love takes work. Love is not "effortless". In fact, love requires us to put aside our natural human inclination to elevate "self" and put another person in the place of that. Love takes sacrifice. Love is hard. Love is a choice.
Take my husband's love for me for example. Spoiler alert: I'm NOT the easiest human to live with. I'm scattered. I'm emotional. I'm an ever-changing being and from moment to moment, no matter what version of me is on the other side, the man loves and serves me endlessly. I can tell you what he's definitely NOT thinking in the moments where he chooses to love me, whether I deserve it or not.
"Wow, I just love when I ask her what's wrong and she says nothing and continues to act upset. How quirky. I just love how mysterious she is."
"I'm so excited to compliment her today on her method of squeezing out the toothpaste. It's so rebellious and unconventional. I like!"
"My favorite thing about my wife is her uncanny ability to suddenly gasp and clench the bar above her head approximately every 2 minutes while I am chauffeuring her around Albuquerque. I just adore her dramatism and her need to make a point about my driving is just so cute."
LOL. God bless this man. Even in moments like these, he treats me with such patience and care. It's not natural to overlook flaws and attitudes. It's not natural to put another's needs ahead of your own. It's a choice. My conclusion is that love is a choice. Commitment is a choice.
That leads me to my next point. Love/commitment in your business is also a choice. Owning a business is not all rainbows and mariposas, okay? Sorry, had to.
It's serious stuff. There are things you have to consider and hard choices you have to make. Your mind is constantly having to think about the future, risk, and reward. For a business to work long term, you HAVE to come last. (At least that's our philosophy.) When you're dealing with people, others lives are impacted by your choices and leadership. That's a heavy responsibility. For many, it's one that people would choose against and I definitely don't blame them. Love for what you do, especially as a business owner, is a choice. Business owners, can I get an amen?
Don't get me wrong. Sometimes there are moments of elation and excitement. Enthusiasm is never at a loss in our world. But to ride solely on the wave of emotions when it comes to business is definitely a ride I don't want to be on. (I think I mentioned earlier that I'm moody.) I foresee lots of motion sickness and anxiety on that route. Thanks, but NO thanks.
So I cling to love and commit to doing the things that will represent love outwardly, even if I don't feel like it. I have to ask myself often, "Why do we do what we do?" and then I recite our mission/vision/clarity statement to fill my tank:
TO BECOME THE MOST IMPACTFUL HOME GROWN ORGANIZATION THAT NEW MEXICO HAS EVER SEEN, EVER.
I've only shared that publicly a few times, but I guess now we're going all in. On the days where I don't feel like continuing or showing up, I cling to our mission. When it's hard and I'm tired and exhausted and my calling feels more like a weight than a privilege, I choose love. I choose to nurture and grow the dream to become the most impactful home grown organization our precious state has ever seen. I dream about the people who will be positively affected along the way. I envision the opportunities that will be available to New Mexicans; the lives that will be changed, the hope that will be freely distributed because I chose to keep on lovin'. To me, commitment is a choice.
Miguel and I pray over this vision often. We talk about it all the time. Last year on our trip to Waco, we dedicated an entire breakfast date (at Magnolia Table, of course) talking all about what this will look like when it comes to fruition. We laughed and cried and ate a delicious, carb-filled biscuits and French toast and it was GLORIOUS. Moments like that serve as our reminders to keep going.
To become the most impactful home grown organization is our life's mission. So daily, hand in hand, Migs (just call him Migs from now on, k?) and I show up for each other and for our small but mighty business and we choose to love. For we know that on the other side of that are miracles waiting to happen. Just wait and see, dear friends. Can't wait to play a part in bringing this vision alive with our community by our side.
So let me ask one more time. What's LOVE got to do with it? My answer still: EVERYTHING.
Happy V-day, friends. May your day be blessed and one where you choose to LOVE.
Love,
Laurene (and Migs)