How I Came Up With The Name For My Jewelry Line

People ask about the meaning behind the name of my company more often than I would have imagined when I first came up with it. I had to get to a place where I was comfortable answering the question because I knew the meaning was deeper than what people expected to hear. I came up with the name after living through a very traumatic experience that changed my life in one day, but the aftermath of it all took 2 years to get sorted out. During this time I learned 5 major lessons which is why I also named my premier collection Lessons Learned.

1.  Enjoy every single moment! I know that it is a bit cliche but until it is challenged, you never know how real those words really are. I learned to slow down, look around, and pay attention to what was going on around me, to really be present in every moment no matter how big or small. It’s funny because when I started doing this, I discovered so many great things about my neighborhood, my friends, and most importantly myself. I also noticed where I was allowing negativity in my life through circumstances, people, and things. Once I identified these dream killers, I remove them from my life.

2.  I learned how to accept myself for who I am, the good, the bad, and the ugly. In doing so, I stopped being a people pleaser and started doing what made me happy, even if others didn’t like it or couldn’t understand it. I started loving me and all that I am and decided to only embrace those who embraced me in my as-is state. I learned that I don’t have to explain myself or feel guilty if I’m not complying to others' expectations and that it’s ok to walk away if a situation is like fitting a square peg into a round hole. I want to live, live in peace, abundance, and utter joy, and anything that takes me out of that place for long periods of time has got to go.

3.  I learned that I don’t need much to be happy. I no longer wanted to spend my life running after a life goal that kept eating up my time and didn’t allow me to be happy until the goal was met. I felt like Rip Van Winkle, I woke up from this deep sleep and when I looked up, my life was passing me by and I was getting older. Where did the time go? I have been a witness to the fact that it is possible to die trying and someone can past away before your dream can be fulfilled. There were dreams of mine that died when my father died. This was the hardest for me because I never realized how much of my identity was tied up in this Life Goal. In order for me to have survived the loss of not only a loved one but also the loss of what I expected to have happened before this…the old me had to die as well and a new me had to be born. Now my only life goals are:

• To LIVE every single day.
• No negativity allowed!
• Laugh as much as possible!

Do you know what's really funny? When I finally learned that I didn’t need much, all of a sudden, blessings were running me down…ironic huh?

4.  Do what makes you happy and I promise you, that's where your gift lies. When you are doing something that you enjoy it doesn’t feel like work. You will file paperwork, stay up late nights working on projects, and restructure your social calendar around it because you enjoy it so much! If you can figure out how to turn that into a business, then you have just taped into your purpose. Find something that you can honestly say that you would continue to do even if you didn’t make a lot of money. That thought alone will create a world that you love residing in so much, that you will find a way to make it successful so that you can constantly enjoy it!

5.  Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s not just a title of a book, this is real life. When you lose someone it brings everything into perspective and either that new perspective can destroy you or push you to a higher level. These last 2 years have left such a mark on me that when I am faced with anything or anyone that takes me out of my place of peace, I ask myself, in the grand scheme of things that I have made it through and what I witness other people going through…is this worth stepping down from my place of peace to address it? 90% of the time, the answer is no. That discovery alone has changed the tone of how I live out my days because I am truly unbothered by circumstances and situations that are not life-threatening in any way. I use to have a fear of what could happen tomorrow or next month and I’d live all the days in between held hostage to the fear of what could be. Now I tell myself, deal with that when or if it happens, for now, right here at this moment, you are safe, and all is well.

While I was learning all of these valuable lessons, stones, and jewelry making became my voice. It was hard for me to vocally express myself during that time, so I did it through each piece of jewelry. If you observe each piece I have created, you can almost see what I was feeling and learning at that moment. I find that a product that has a story behind it has a way of connecting people. Everyone has had a Sacred moment in their life, my jewelry is a symbol that something beautiful can come out of even the darkest days. Whenever you look at it, you will remember not only my story, but your own story. It’s a reminder to live like every day counts, to slow down and take the time to enjoy each moment for what it is…Sacred. This is a visual story of my journey and I just wanted to share it with the world, so Sacred By Monica Parks was born!