The Rule of TEN
If you are one of the 10 people who read my blog, you probably already know that I am the founder and president of PatternReview.com, an online sewing community I started 9 years ago. I’ve been asked on multiple occasions what a typical day working behind the scenes on PR looks like. I never quite know how to answer that because the truth is, I don’t know! Each day brings with it many things, sometimes expected and many times totally unexpected and out the blue which catch me off-guard. But that is the joy of running a community.
One e-mail or a phone call can completely change the way the rest of the day goes but it’s how the world works and I’ve embraced it.
So yesterday when I was feeling especially stressed and drained splitting my energy and focus on many things at once, an email sent to me changed not only my day but the way I think. And so thought provoking were those words, that it made me want to share this with you. Now since it was sent privately to me, I will not quote the sender but I do want to share some of her thoughts.
The sender expressed her enthusiasm about the site (PR) and the joy she gets out of it. She went on to explain her “Rule of Ten” which she has followed for the last 35 years. According to her rule of ten, if she hasn’t expressed her gratitude and appreciation towards a person or an organization she is involved with at least TEN times, she does not allow herself to complain about them even if she feels her complaint is justified.
That e-mail put a pause on my day and my thoughts and I started to think how many complaining thoughts have I had since I woke up? Too many, I am embarrassed to admit.
And I stopped…
We are surrounded by greatness. We just need to learn how to see it. The sender of the e-mail to begin with. And that my friends, is what is so awesome about running PatternReview. While I started the site because I wanted to learn how to sew, over the last 9 years, I have learned way more than how to sew a jacket. And as PR approaches it’s 10th anniversary, I feel grateful, and lucky to have had the chance to learn from so many of you. For learning never stops. Not now, not ever.
Deepika Blogs... 
Dear Deepika, have I told you today how beautiful you are–inside and out?? 😉
Soft hug,
Rhonda
Rhonda, you are a wonderful person. It was a pleasure meeting you at Montreal.
I love that philosophy! What a great way of thinking about things!
That is certainly and interesting and thought provoking philosophy. Mine is slightly different regarding complaining and that is. . . I won’t complain about the people who are running things unless I have volunteered to help them run things. I feel that it’s not nice to complain to people who are doing things unless I’m willing to join in the work.
Personally I continue to love PR and think its the best sewing site on the internet, by far.