Nicole’s Story – By Nicole

woman holding bouquet of flowers

Don’t forget for a moment that I am telling this story the way it was told to me by Nicole herself. She never explained how she started her late night business except to say that she had to make a lot of money quickly or lose the home she grew up in.  I thought it best not to press her for more details because I saw that it was difficult for her to talk about. What she did explain to me is that her mother literally lived in limbo for close to a year. She had taken care of her mother while awaiting the birth of her son, knowing that the small savings her dad had left was quickly diminishing.  That could not have been easy!

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Do you Absolutely Need People?

animal blur canine close up

Mental illness is a debilitating and lonely battle for those who are cursed with it.  I have come to the realization that a major component of these illnesses is the feeling of being utterly alone. Battling feelings of low self-esteem and self-worth, anxiety, depression and other symptoms is extremely difficult. Imagine all of the above coupled with extreme loneliness. Yet, it appears that one of the tell-tale signs of mental illness is the tendency to alienate loved ones. Why? isn’t this the time when we need people the most?

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Villain or Victim?

Is it ok for me to get into the same line of business as my friend?

Imagine that Jack and Andrew have been friends for years. Jack has always been a chef with his own moderately successful catering business. Andrew, an office manager, has always had a knack for cooking and suddenly decides that he wants a career change. He decides to go to culinary school and becomes a successful and much sought-after chef. Did Andrew do something that can mean the end of a good friendship with Jack?

I’m always a bit annoyed and critical of someone who copies something I did, my thought is – where is their originality? If on the other hand, they told me they liked what I did and wanted to try it, I would happily help them get it done while eliminating any mistakes I had made. That’s a little weird right? You would think so, but there is a quote of seeming unknown origin that says “Good artists copy; great artists steal”; meaning that a copycat duplicates what you did but someone who improves on what you did owns it.

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