Handful of Jello.

For whatever reason, the last few weeks at PJP have been a mental struggle.  While we thankfully continue to do well in terms of sales and growth, the backstory has been long hours of physical work and the expenditure of emotional energy with seemingly no end.  I visited with someone today who likened the entrepreneurial process to running around while trying to hold a gallon of Jello in your bare hands.  WORD.  (I don't even like Jello, for the record.  Unless it has vodka in it, obviously.) And you would really think that just shy of two and a half years into this gig, I wouldn't be surprised at the demands of our business.  I mean, really...wouldn't you?  But I continually am.  Even as we surpass significant goals, the next goal in front of us continues bigger and scarier and more daunting than the last.  (In my mind, it is more hairy too.  Sort of like an abominable snowman of goals, if you need a visual.)

I spent a little time on Instragram tonight, trying a bit to de-stress myself and stop overthinking EVERY SINGLE THING.  But 20 or so posts in, all I could think was "ddddaaaaaannnngggg, everyone else totally has it together" (I said it just like that to myself, too).  Here's a pro tip...if you are feeling a little like your hands are full of Jello, don't seek refuge in an Instagram feed of beautifully curated images.  For a few minutes, it felt like the entire world had some knowledge about how to be better and smarter and more brave, but the memo never made it to my inbox. I think that is just the world we live in now, no?

And before this all sounds maudlin, please know that at least 178 things have happened to us in the last few weeks that have made every second of what we do completely worth it AND THEN SOME.  But in a world that suggests we project an image of our lives that looks perfect 100% of the time, someone needed to awkwardly stand in the corner of the business owner room, clear their throat, and be all "YO, THIS IS HARD WORK...".  For the sake of us all.  And for the sake of trying to keep it real.

Doesn't mean that if I captured a photo of an abominable snowman, I wouldn't put the Ludwig filter on him and slap it right on our Instragram ASAP.  Because you know I would...