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[Show Up To Grow] Day 9: Gratitude

Writer's picture: Mel BlackwoodMel Blackwood

by Mel Blackwood @troubleon8wheels


I am not here to preach. Times are really tough right now for so many people including me. I haven't paid myself properly for months, instead prioritising my staff and re-investing into stock where I can. Running out of roller skates as we did in 2020 still haunts me!


I could absolutely choose to live in fear, of course I'm concerned for the future of the business - basically my life - who isn't? However, I've been working with a fantastic therapist for almost a year now. She has been helping me to challenge my old patterns of thought and develop new ones. At the same time, I've been learning from podcasts and books about money mindset - I didn't even realise I was holding onto beliefs that have been conditioned into me by society. Beliefs about my worth, my earning potential and a whole lot more. Ray Dodd and Rachel Rodgers have a lot to say about this - please check them out!


Do you hold any of the following beliefs?

  • I shouldn't make more money, because people will think I'm greedy.

  • I should do things for free, because it shows that I'm a good person.

  • I don't need more money to be happy.

These beliefs consider money to be a finite resource, which suggests that if you or I have more of it, we are taking it away from people who need it most. This is actually not true! Instead, wealthy people become more wealthy. I hadn't realised that women with money are far more philanthropic than their male counterparts (apologies, data is only held about men/women at this time and not across the gender spectrum) and that wealthy women re-invest their wealth into their communities.


While I am far from rich (I am sat wearing lots of fleece and gloves in my house typing this, because I will not be putting the heating on), I believe that one day I will have enough money to open a skate space, without humungous loans. I choose to be grateful for every single person who chooses to shop or skate with RGG. Truly. That wall of photos in the shop is a blessing. The shop itself is a blessing! I get to meet curious folks who have never been in a roller skate shop, other small business owners who understand the dedication and love it takes to have your own space and a gang of loyal customers and their pals who have been sent our way. Despite being in a recession, I sit with an abundant mindset. I WILL make it to three years of bricks-and-mortar! (Just setting a calendar reminder to reflect on this in October 2023).


Gratitude is a practise. Practising gratitude has helped me to overcome strong emotions, such as jealousy, by creating space to feel it. I started my gratitude practise by writing (writing is more powerful than just thinking) one thing I am grateful for today, one thing I am letting go of, one thing I am looking forward to tomorrow.


Why on earth am I writing a blog post about emotion?


Because, when you learn to roller skate as an adult, it is a roller coaster of emotion!

The excitement of 'I actually can do this!' is closely followed by the pain and embarrassment of falling. Confusion, when you put your skates on again the following week because your body has forgotten what to do, followed by anger at yourself. Frustration, that your limbs are not obeying your brain, while actually they are just frozen with fear. Then when you can start skating with more ease and flow, you go to a new place and the whole cycle repeats itself. This is not everybody's journey, but having spoken to a whole lot of people at classes, online and in the shop, it does feel like the majority of adults learning to roller skate have experienced some degree of this emotional journey.


Even though I've been talking about the link between mental and physical well ness since well before the pandemic, it has taken me to be immersed in the business and look at myself to realise how important it is to normalise the emotional aspect. This is why the video course we created is the first of its kind to be created. I'm sure as people realise how important it is to acknowledge your emotions, this kind of discussion will start to be built into far more sporting activities.


For now, if you would like to support RGG to secure a permanent skate space, please consider signing up to our online course. And if you are beyond the beginner part, then do recommend it to a friend who is starting out! It would take us around 6 weeks to deliver the material in our regular Sunday sessions, but may take you up to 12 months to actually perform the movements with confidence at a reasonable speed. We have designed the videos to be re-watched and scrolled through so you can refer to sections you are working on. Most importantly, we have included what goes wrong and how to correct it. Take your own video and analyse yourself, with our guidance.


I'm grateful you are here, letting me know you are reading my words.

What are you grateful for today?

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