It’s almost here guys. We’re officially two weeks out from Christmas day and I’m never really sure how it comes so dang fast. Between content creation, social media posts, graphic design and staying on top of all things Marmalead related, I’m just trying to stay in touch with this beautiful season and what it holds. The temptation to let the season happen to me instead of really soaking it all in is definitely a thing. Days seem full to overflowing with so much business that there are times I just wish it was over. But that is NOT what I want my holiday season to be like at all.

Remembering back when

Do you remember when you were little and Christmas morning would usher in this amazing magical feeling? You just KNEW Santa had been there and with that knowledge, everything seemed to just sparkle. He’d been there. Right there. In your living room! He ate the cookies! The milk was GONE! It was perfect. Just the way it should be.

Losing that lovin’ feeling

Then, you grew up. And you realized that being a small business owner is hard. It’s hard to do what it takes to get an education, find a trade, run a business, and not lose sight of that magical feeling that came so easy as a child on Christmas morning. It’s stinkin’ hard to not want to crawl back into bed and pull the covers over your head. But, no matter how we feel, we do what needs to be done anyway.

Getting it done

You get up and you open your computer and you answer the convos. Then, you check your inventory. You wrap the orders up and ship them off to their new homes. All while keeping your cool with frustrating customers. You lay your head on the desk when it’s necessary. You guzzle coffee and tea and whatever else to get you through your day. Because whether it’s a side hustle or a full-time hustle, we are doing what it takes. We are business owners. We are carving out a path that is different from the 9-5 grind and doing what we love. Because that matters more than anything else for us.

Your pep talk

But even still, the end of the year rolls around and it’s HARD to stay upbeat and not want to bury our heads in the sand. Well, here is your pep talk that no matter what, you can do this! The finish line is in sight, you are, in fact, doing this Etsy thing and next year will be even better than this one with this kind of effort and dedication! Maybe you’re a new seller. Or you might be a seasoned seller in the trenches of this Christmas season that is like so many before it. Whatever your selling time on Etsy may be, whatever you’re doing at this moment, however you might be feeling, we all need someone to say, hey, I see you. And we do! We understand it can be an exciting and yet a freaking hard time of year.

An agreement

This is why I want to say, we do understand and we are in the trenches with you. But what I want to remind you and us of, is that this particular holiday season will not roll around again. It’s the only one of it’s kind that we get. So while I’m designing content and editing videos and while you’re answering convos and packaging products, let’s agree to remember that we get this one holiday season in 2018. We only get two more weeks of it.

Let’s you and I agree to be extra kind and take moments to step back from the craziness to truly enjoy and savor it. Let’s take a couple of hours to drink hot chocolate and watch How The Grinch Stole Christmas…or whatever your best version is of a hot drink and Christmas movie 😉 Let’s not forget that even though this season can be extra hard, it’s also extra beautiful.

Capturing the magic

Why? Well, as children we just believed in the magic we were told to believe in, which held its own sort of beauty. Now, we get the choice to believe in the magic or not. We don’t have to. But the magic is found again when we step back, take a deep breath and remember once more what we believed in so long ago. And then, choose it.

A better plan

I don’t know about you, but the choice to believe is far more alluring and beautiful than the alternative. I want to believe that this can be the MOST beautiful holiday season ever. That it can be filled with more kindness than I ever expected, both from me and others that cross my path. That it can hold magic that carries far beyond the season and into the new year ahead. That no matter the struggles with new content creation, products, SEO or whatever it may be, we can pull through it together.

A choice

This is what I choose to believe. That you and I are far better together in this community than we are apart on our own. That we can encourage each other and be more than anything we expected in the coming months! Why? Because it’s what we’ve chosen, it’s what we believe and more than anything else, we can make it come true.

Happy two weeks until Christmas, everyone! Let us know in the comments below what you’re doing to find the magic this season 🙂 And as always, happy selling!