Three Tips for balance | Chief Belief Offier, Nancy Gianni
June 6, 2018
Hello all!
Today’s blog post is about how to balance a family and a business, and once I figure it all out I will be sure to let you know! In my book, I share the difficult but necessary first choice my husband and I made together… When the dream of opening a place where all children would be celebrated my husband Paul said to me…
“if we do this we cannot have another baby. We just cannot do it.” I looked down at GiGi and realized he was right, I decided the Playhouse would be my fourth baby.
Then we were off and running and the job of building a world-changing organization took off and with it the fine art of learning to balance this mission with supporting and loving my family. Sidenote, as self-fulfilling prophecy would have it, I did, in fact, get my fourth child after all. We adopted our beautiful niece Romi when her mother passed away in 2005.
Be Present: Make the Most of Every Moment It isn’t easy for any of us, but I find the most important thing to do is… try to be in the moment. Make every moment with the person you are with matter. When I am with GiGi, waiting for the bus or on a walk, we always talk or play a game. Usually, we play the alphabet game! We start by choosing a word that starts with A and use the word in a sentence. We go through the entire alphabet and end up laughing as we come up with sentences that complement each other or remind us of a silly story. It’s one of our favorite things to do. Although sometimes, I just want to walk and get lost in my own thoughts. So when GiGi says “Lets play the alphabet game!” I flinch a little. But then I realize these times are not always going to be here – so I say “A is for another! GiGi and I are going to play ANOTHER game of alphabet!” And you know what? As much as I did not want to play, I’m ALWAYS happy that I did!
Embrace the Crazy with Laughter I think the most important element for me and my family is laughter! Last Friday GiGi was working at the Playhouse. She made a video in the morning, attended a luncheon with the Rotary Club and then had to sign books. We stopped briefly at home to eat and then we were off to a minor league baseball game. I was throwing out the first pitch and GiGi was singing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.” Although this was work, we also made it a fun family night! We crammed a lot in and I could not help but laugh when I saw my son eating cereal (there was no other food!) and with a huge serving spoon because there was no clean silverware! This is my life and I love every crazy second of it! The kids have learned to adapt! I mean, he could have washed the dishes too… if he wasn’t so hungry!!!
When You’re Overwhelmed, Seek Guidance Whether it’s a trusted friend, family member or mentor, we all need someone to lean on now and again. There was a time in the journey (and still sometimes today) when it feels like everyone is against you. The negativity and the judgments can overwhelm. I was ready to give up, I felt as though I had given all I could and it was time to collect my family and just be us! In this excerpt from my book, I share an experience that knocked me sideways with an unexpected revelation that ultimately re-energized my purpose.
“Father Fred looked me directly in the eye and said, “Nancy, you can’t quit.” I stared at him in surprise. “I … can’t?” He shook his head. “No, you can’t quit. This is a ministry. What you’re doing is a ministry. And it has to continue.” Ministry? I thought. That was crazy! I worked hard and I played hard, but the concept of ministry was foreign to me. That wasn’t what we’d set out to do, and I couldn’t wrap my mind around it; I couldn’t think of GiGi’s that way. But to see someone I respected framing what we were doing at GiGi’s as a ministry helped me to change my viewpoint. A shift in perspective was just what I needed, even if it was one that shocked me. I sighed, deflated. The priest was telling me I had to keep going. And how do you say no to a priest? “I can’t quit?” I said, knowing what his answer would be, and then adding, “But what if it is just too much for me?” Father Fred took a deep breath. “What you’re doing, Nancy, it’s …well, I’ve never seen anything like it. I have never seen a change like what’s happening with GiGi’s.” He considered for a second and almost seemed to be in awe. “You can’t quit; you have to keep it going.” So that was it. I’d gone to a priest for counsel, hoping that he’d tell me I’d done enough, and, instead, he encouraged me to do more. I’m certainly far from a perfect Catholic, but, as I said, I couldn’t say no to a priest! So, I pushed on; I kept going. This book offers a lot of messages based on my own experiences, and I keep repeating the ones I believe are the most important. (Please bear with me on that!) One of those messages is this: when you feel like you want to quit, keep going—when things seem the worst, that is exactly when the best is about to happen.”
Better Together! WE Make Miracles Happen!
Miracles happen every day at GiGi’s Playhouse. But our success did not happen overnight, nor on its own. Born out of a mother’s love, and fueled by the passion and dedication of GiGi’s Playhouse teams, families and community members, the mission of Generation G: Be Accepting. Be Generous. Be Kind has sparked a social revolution. With 37 GiGi’s Playhouse locations and 200 more working towards an opening, GiGi’s does not show any sign of slowing down! With 240 families joining GiGi’s EVERY MONTH, the demand is there and WE will not let our families down! It takes a village and when we all come together, miracles can and do happen! We are Stronger TOGETHER!
#GenerationG is available in-store and online at Hugs & Mugs. Please visit HERE to order your copy today!
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Our family will be forever thankful that our Heavenly Father created YOU, Nancy! Keep going forward! Thank you, Father Fred, for reassuring her of this ministry that God designed for her! 😘👍
Priorities in Place!