Tell Me

I am once again linking up with Tracy from Then I Got To Thinking... for "Tell Me."

 I just love this idea! It's so fun having deeper and more personal blog topics. Not that posting about my wedding and new recipes isn't fun because it is and let's face it, that's what I love reading on other blogs but sometimes it's nice to open up a little more and in return learn more about my beloved blog friends. 

Anyways, on to the good stuff. Today's topic is 

"Tell Me...What's an experience you've had in your life that has made you learn something about yourself?"

There is a three year period of my life that clearly stands out as the time that I not only learned the most about myself but also learned the most in general, and it was the time that Coffee Buzz was open. 

To those of you newer followers, my husband and I owned a coffee shop, called Coffee Buzz. It took about a year and a half to plan and open the shop and then we were in business for another year and a half.  It was an independent coffee shop that we built from the ground up; the concept was ours, the name was ours, the design, menu and decor were all ours. 

During these three years I was challenged mentally, physically and emotionally. My relationship with my boyfriend/fiance were challenged {he proposed while the shop was open and we were married shortly after we closed} and my relationships with my family and friends were tested.

My daily life was completely different than that of anyone in my life, except my husband's. We worked 7 days a week for 13 hours a day, we were awake before sunrise every day and in the winter were home well after the sun went down. But, the business was ours. We met some of the most incredible people through Coffee Buzz and learned more than could ever be taught in books. 

What I learned from the ups and downs, stresses and milestones, excitement and disappointment, pride and heartbreak that came with opening and then closing Coffee Buzz is that everything happens for a reason and you'll never succeed if you don't try. 

For me personally, I learned that I am capable of way more than what I give myself credit for and also that failure is OK. The business didn't turn out how we'd all expected it to, but we did it.

What life experience taught you something about yourself?