internet friends + opportunity = magic

i had a blog for nearly 10 years before i went on a unplanned hiatus from it. some of you reading may remember me writing at 'stickyfeathers'. those were the days. i started blogging because i was pregnant with my first child + i wanted to document everything. it was like THE thing to be doing. writing your thoughts out online for everyone to consume. i had always loved journaling for myself ... and this seemed like a natural fit. i had no idea that it would turn out to be one of the building blocks towards my success years later. you see, i met a ton of people online. these internet friends had blogs and i would read them daily. it was like a written version of someone's reality show. i grew to knew so much about all of these people. some of us took online workshops together, or did photography projects remotely. there was one time when a handful of my internet friends met in chicago for a 'real world meets blog world' and stayed in a house together. i didn't go because my (ex) husband thought it was stupid to go meet people i didn't know. little did anyone know some of these same people would turn into my favorite humans + co-workers. people i craved spending time with ... in real life. one day, seven years ago, i shared an image to instagram. i had went to the pharmacy with my co-worker and we had left with a large bag full of over-the-counter drugs + prescription medications. i laughed about how it looked like we robbed the place. on the same day, the 'photo a day' prompt that i was doing on instagram was 'on the table'. so, i dumped everything we had just purchased on the table and took a picture of it. i then shared it with everyone on the 'gram. i was instantly messaged by a handful of my internet friends about how there was an essential oil for nearly everything on that table. they urged me to give young living a try. i quickly put together an email for these girls telling me to 'sell me' on oils. a thread of 50 emails later and i was sold. i'm an impulse buyer anyways so ... it didn't take much. they also said because of my blog, photography and people skills ... i should try the business. so, i did. i had never sold anything before in my life, but figured what the hell. i was looking for community + purpose and this landed right into my lap. i quickly learned that essential oils were no joke. i was screaming from the rooftops about how amazing they were. i used social media to spread the good word. this is about the same time when my blog started to be neglected. i was also going through a rough spot in my marriage that would ultimately end in divorce so, i didn't really feel i had much to talk about. my business took off like wildfire. i grew as a human and my business thrived. i was ranking up in young living quickly. the people by my side that never doubted me, never thought i was crazy + only encouraged me were my internet friends. i mean, i had real life besties that were there, but without these web pals, i would've never been living the life i have today. i am sure of it. all of this because i took a risk with people i didn't know. sharing my life with them. connecting with them. believing in each other. encouraging each other. i ended up meeting most of my blog friends (that i had known for over a decade) at our first young living retreat. it was an amazing experience. over the past six years, we have worked side by side with each other. we have traveled together, shared our secrets, given + received advice, picked each other up when we were down ... and those ones most near and dear to my heart were actually at our wedding this past summer. the celebration just wouldn't have been the same without them there. there is magic in the unknown. i was presented with opportunities over my life that connected me to people that were meant to be part of my story. i am incredibly lucky.