Finding Peace

I finally found some peace tonight, in what to do with The Rat Retreat. It came in the form of an old, unopened email that was filtered by mistake. The email, about the suffering of rats as live food, started a fire in me that got me writing. That writing led me to remember that I have a degree in communication. Then I recalled that the degree was very general. I took mostly journalism, but also advertising, public speaking and marketing classes. I learned how to sell with words. Why have I never used that degree in a job? I went back to school to work on art, which was my minor. So I am an educated, trained artist and writer, running a nonprofit without a salary. When I applied for the 501(c)(3) I chose not to hand over the rights to my artwork to The Rat Retreat, so my son could inherit...my son who owns snakes that eat rats. Are you getting the picture? I sat down with my rat of wisdom, Irene, and talked this out tonight. I will give over the rights to my art, so The Rat Retreat will have all the proceeds...same with writing proceeds. In return, I will draw a salary. I am on social security, so can't make more than about $900 a month anyway. For all the hours I put in here, I deserve that. That was the major point I had to get myself to...is that I deserve to draw a salary. Where the salary will come from...who knows? I don't think it matters. I believe it will all take care of itself. I needed to reach the point of believing I deserve to be the first person that draws a salary from The Rat Retreat. I also needed to overcome the fear of handing over the rights to all my rat-oriented artwork. I've already given everything else of myself to this cause...kind of silly to hold onto that one last thing. My focus has been too narrow. I have been very concerned with the rats in our sanctuary, then the rats in our area. With my focus on writing and art, I can help the domestic rats of the world. As someone recently commented, I need to do what I do best and let others do what they do best. Someone else will be better at running the day-to-day work of The Rat Retreat, but that is not my concern. It's up to the same God who put me here and gave me these skills, to bring in the people with the right skills for those jobs. Until then, we will get by as best we can. But my refocus of energy will certainly bring us a happier atmosphere to work in. Now how to communicate this to volunteers...you see me, but I'm not really here?