A few weeks ago, I hosted a free relationship seminar at our local library. This event, in the past few years, has been overflowing with people eager to learn about what to do and not to do financially and legally when in a relationship.
I brought 50 packets of information to hand out that night.
Did my hair.
Put on my best blue jeans.
Put on a red silk shirt because it was 3 days before Valentine’s Day.
I walked in, set up, put my water bottle on the podium, and waited.
And I waited.
At 5:32 pm, 32 minutes into the start of the seminar, I realized that no one was going to show up.
After the wave of embarrassment and frustration passed, I realize that, although no one had shown up to the seminar, that didn’t mean that I hadn’t shown up for them.
I had prepared, I had marketed, and I had written valuable information in those packages.
Once again, life served me the hard lesson that you are only responsible for what you put into this world.
You are not responsible for how people respond to it.
But that doesn’t mean that you’re helpless and unable to help others.
I still had a message and valuable information to share.
So I sat down in that empty conference room, 32 minutes into what should’ve been a packed seminar, opened up the Notes app on my cell phone, and I began to type.
I showed up.
I showed up in the news article that I wrote that afternoon, which was published in my Blue Jean Lawyer column the following week.
I showed up on social media, in the post about relationships and real estate, and the wisdom of protecting your finances while dating someone.
I showed up when I made the decision to pack my stuff up and walk out of that library at 5:45 pm, past staff who knew no one had shown up for my seminar, and smile at them, and tell them to have a great night.
I showed up that night for my dogs, my cat, my husband, and myself when I made dinner and relaxed on the couch with my little family.
The next morning, I rose early, drove to the office, and I showed up, once again to achieve my dreams and to help my community.
Remember this, my friends, if you do one thing in this life, it is this:
Show Up.
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