Dorothy Ainsworth on finishing a task, failure, success, and overcoming obstacles.

Dorothy Ainsworth, a Paleo Treats Ambassador, is one of our original heroines.  She's a waitress in Oregon who built her house with her own two hands (twice, it burned down the first time), written for Backwoods magazine, lived outdoors and rocked a bathing suit with a chainsaw long before it was cool for women to be hard chargin' and tough humans.   She's recently (2017) written a book available on Amazon, take a look!  This is one of our many "favorite" pictures of Dorothy, way back in 1969 in Galena, NV.  While the rest of us are running around willy-nilly wishing and wanting for good things to happen, she's rolled up her sleeves and gotten to work.  We occasionally manage to send her some of our paleo desserts and she's been good enough to give us a few responses to our series of Ambassador questions, here's what she had to say:

PT: What thoughts do you think when you focus on a task?

DA: First I VISUALIZE the completed goal for the day, then  concentrate on the task at hand that will take me there in small steps. Everything happens in small increments when you work by yourself, but they add up into huge results.  There is tremendous satisfaction in the journey as well as the end result.  When a task is challenging and I'm not sure how to begin my refrain is:  "dissect, demystify, and conquer".

PT: Which has more personal growth value, failure or success?  Can you give an example? 

DA: Probably failure, but little successes feel SOOOO good. I try to think of adversity as a "gift" AFTER I emerge from the other side a wiser and better person. I've also learned that lots of good almost always comes out of bad things happening.

For instance, when my log house burned down the day after I finished it, the help I received on the rebuilding process was amazing, and the second house turned out bigger and better than the first one. There were so many more pluses I can't list them all here. Now I can honestly say that losing the first house was a blessing in disguise, but when it happened it was the darkest day of my life.

PT: What was one huge obstacle you had to overcome to get where you are?

DA: I had to muster up the COURAGE to make a big change in my life and move my kids and I to another town and start from scratch after my divorce. You get exactly out of life what you put in to it. If you take the easy way out, you will probably have an unfulfilling life. My advice is: " Paddle your own canoe!" I am so glad I took the first steps to a new beginning because it has ended so well. ( And it's not over yet!)

PT: We see ourselves at Paleo Treats for what we are; a cookie company.  We're not saving the planet or creating world peace, so we're always a little surprised at the intensity of the response when people taste our cookies.  We think it comes from the relentless pursuit of excellence, which is what drew us to you.  We know where our drive comes from, is there any moment or person or timeframe that developed that pursuit of excellence in your own life?

DA: The love of beauty in all things is in my soul. I couldn't "settle" for a mundane existence and be happy, so I was driven to carve out an original relationship with a piece of land and a pile of logs. I wanted to create a beautiful rustic home and be self-sufficient, no matter how much labor it took, and the surprising part is that it was doable on a shoestring ( waitress tips).

Thanks Dorothy!  For the rest of you: You're a damn fool if you don't see the wisdom in those answers.

From before the time of Epictetus the trait of courage, the love of beauty, and the value of failure have been markers of human achievement.  Today, Dorothy is a living example of the modern stoic and we couldn't be more stoked to have her be a part of Paleo Treats.  

Rock on, Dorothy!

• Curing Poison Ivy With One Tough Woman
• Strategy & Ability: One Perfect Race
• Humans of Paleo: Michele Spring

Too much reading...
How about dessert?

Take me to the store

3 Comments

Joseph

September 21, 2016

Well done….

Brooke

October 19, 2015

What a hero, Dorothy ! You are such an inspiration to all women out there trudging through the mud of daily life. Thanks for your beautiful message !

Cynthia

August 17, 2014

WOW…. What can I say, she is such an inspiration to me, such a real life tangible hero, she really is the real thing with such a huge heart! And I am the luckiest daughter in the world, as Dorothy is my Mother. The best Mother ever. I am so proud and inspired by you every day.

Leave a comment