This summer I have been leisurely bingeing big, beautiful, interior design coffee table books. Recently I cracked open Design Remix, by Corey Damen Jenkins, and was incredibly inspired, but not for the reason you might think. His interiors were vibrant and inviting, yet what stuck with me the most was the story he shared in the introduction about how he started his career.
Jenkins grew up in Detroit and had always been interested in interior design, but was nudged towards a more stable career choice in the automotive industry. When the 2008 recession hit, the city of Detroit felt the impact, and Jenkins lost his job. With nothing to lose, he decided to finally give his dreams and chance and started knocking on doors one by one to ask if people were seeking interior design services. His goal was to land a client or knock on one thousand doors, whichever came first, before taking a step back to reevaluate. Low and behold, behind door 779 came his big break – a couple who had fired their interior designer and were receptive to his ideas. One thing led to another, and today Jenkins is a celebrated interior designer featured on HGTV and in magazines.
Jenkins’ story beautifully illustrates how you never know which person, which conversation, which chance encounter, or which opportunity is going to change your life. But by putting yourself out there, having conversations, and risking rejection, you can increase your surface area for luck to hit you. The couple behind door number 779 were not in Jenkins’ close circle nor were they people he would have ordinarily encountered in his day-to-day routine. They crossed paths simply because Jenkins had the courage to mix things up.
The example Jenkins shared especially resonated with me because it was the second time that week I had encountered this topic. Just a few days earlier, I was scrolling Instagram and stumbled on a post (that I wish I would have saved!!) about an influencer who made it a goal to get rejected a thousand times this year, and in the midst of things, found herself landing acting roles, winning a pageant, and even getting approved for a Dutch passport. You never know what is possible unless you try. And if you have a goal of trying a thousand different things (and being okay with them not working out), your future may look completely different than you imagined for yourself, in the best way possible.
Anyway, this is what I have been thinking about this week! Mostly in a professional sense related to my career. But this could also apply to my personal life. Why not ask that nice daycare mom who I’ve only met once to meet up at the park? Why not plan a party? Why not enter some type of contest? Why not, why not, why not?
A few related final thoughts…
Bookworm Cottage Style 
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