FROM THE DESK OF LOUISA RECHTER TAKACS

I remember the first time I discovered the power of positive thinking. I was 21 years old and had just arrived in Paris for my semester abroad. I had lived in St. Louis all my life (even for college) and had never really left home for that long. It was the first time I felt homesick. Luckily, I had met a friend who was going through the same thing. One day she told me that her mom said the best way to get over missing home is to keep a journal where you record one good thing that happened that day. It sounded like an interesting exercise, so I tried it. The entries ranged from something as small as receiving an email from a friend to something as flattering as “someone mistook me for French!” 

This exercise sounds trivial, but it actually changed my life. 

When I adopted this way of thinking, I started attracting more positive people, distancing myself from negativity and leading a more intentional life. 

I often credit this exercise to giving me the courage to start a business. There were a lot of naysayers but I saw opportunity…and I went for it. 

It isn’t always easy though. There are some weeks where I feel like I’m giving the company everything I have but to no avail. There are high-highs and low-lows as we always say. But at the end of the day, it’s been a journey. I feel more compassionate, I can relate to more people, I have interesting things to talk about and can pass along my learnings to others. That’s rewarding to me. 

xx,