Don't look UP, look around you: A Conversation with Cider Press Lane's Kelly Welk
"I used to think that all the big stuff was going to happen outside of normal life." - Kelly Welk
Many of us get bogged down with all the daily minutia of everyday life. It can feel like we're not doing something meaningful and are not making a difference in the world around us. Kelly Welk, of Cider Press Lane and founder of the Freedom Dinners, joined us this week and talked about how this mindset of seeing the whole mountain prevents us from being on the trail and taking the next step.
Kelly remembers thinking, "This thing that I loved to do, it wasn't frivolous, it was on purpose."
It was through her own journey of looking at what was already right in front of her, the things she loved to do and is already doing, that she discovered she could make a greater impact. As she continued to figure out "what matters" and doing it, naturally a community began to form. We live in a world that is searching for connection and things we do are rarely only about ourselves. We get to be a part of a bigger interconnected web of people, impacting each other in a ripple effect that radiates outward.
"How strange is it that we believe that the things that define us don't matter; And that in order for it to matter, we need to be something else."
As she began to lean into the things she loved, it became easier to find the places where she needed to say "no" in order to be able to say "yes" to the things that make her heart sing. Through self-awareness she learned to exercise self-discipline, choosing what to give up and what to hold your ground on. With a laser focus she began practicing to do things well rather than quickly. Kelly said, "I don't have to be busy to have a life of meaning."
And it starts with you. Kelly says we are "always called to right in front of us." Wherever you already are, doing whatever you're already doing. Start there. Get your brain to focus. Ask yourself, what do I like to do? What do I not like to do? All the steps you take will get you to the top of the mountain, but it starts with being on the trail today. "You can only do what can be done today."
"Live your life the way you were designed to live it." - Kelly Welk
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Kelly is reading The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
Kelly listens to the Exploring My Strange Bible Podcast.
Kelly is inspired by her three kids.
You can get Kelly's Books; "Dinner Changes Everything" and "Dream Catcher" as well as her other fair market goods (such as aprons, wooden spoons and bowls) on her website: ciderpresslane.com
Follow Kelly on Instagram @ciderpresslane or @kellywelk