This past weekend was Thanksgiving in Canada. Without a doubt, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, because as a Canadian living in the US, I get to celebrate it twice!
On Thanksgiving morning, I woke up and headed to the garden to gather some fresh kale for breakfast, eating edible flowers and checking out the fall artichokes along the way. Before heading back to the house to cook up what we’d picked, we walked down to the pasture to visit the 3 sheep, treating them to some trimmings of green beans from the previous night’s dinner.
Here’s a picture of my mama and my man, saying good morning to them:
Here are the dogs, Midas and Lucy, saying good morning to them:
As the photographer that morning, I had a unique perspective; an opportunity to observe the goings-on and some quiet solitude to reflect. Standing there, watching my beloved mom, man and doggies interact with our newest fluffy family members, it clicked. These 3 sheep reminded me that this is exactly what I wanted for years:
Location freedom.
The ability to do my good work from anywhere, and the means to do so.
: being happily in love and traveling together
: spending plenty of time with my family
: supporting my amazing clients while seeing the world
: taking time off to play, rest and enjoy life
Just a few short years ago, I had a major epiphany…
At the time, I was a total workaholic; frustrated and sad that I only visited my family once a year; dreaming of seeing the world. And while there were many awesome aspects of my life, there was much more I saw for myself. I wanted my life to be meaningful and adventurous.
I worked my booty off so I could gather the time and money to make it happen, putting 100% of my attention and focus on my business. I worked 24/7. I was willing to do anything. I neglected my self-care and relationships, because I truly believed that I had to work harder-harder-harder.
The epiphany:
I was living with a “struggle mentality” that ensured I would never actually feel successful, because I’d always be working my booty off. Struggling to be successful made no sense.
How would I feel successful if I wasn’t living a successful life?
As ambitious women, we often think that we should just “focus on our business/career”. Of course it takes great effort to build and grow a business, but know this:
When the woman behind the business grows, the business grows.
The new paradigm of Feminine Leadership calls us to step into our role as the change-makers we’re meant to be, and that includes walking our talk, “being the change”, nurturing ourselves and going after what we want…not later, but now. As our freedom deepens, our ripple effect broadens.
Looking back, there are 3 things that made a massive difference in my freedom:
1. Going “all in”
I talked about this at length in this article, but allow me to keep it short and sweet here: your freedom is a result of your commitment. When I committed to having not only an awesome business but also an awesome life today, the excuses dried up, the required actions became clearer, the sense of accomplishment soared. If you have one foot in and one foot out, you’re going to get half the results (and half the satisfaction). Just like a relationship, if you love your business and yourself, you have to commit fully to nurture the relationship. And committing fully means taking a truly holistic approach.
2. Living well today
Simple: once you’re all in, take action. Want location freedom? Sublet your apartment for January and book your flight. Book a workcation, and work from the beach for a week. Start taking bold steps to make it happen. Stop waiting for the life you love to fall from the sky; it’s yours for the making.
3. Sisterhood
I have led women’s groups, retreats and masterminds for over 5 years, and dare I say, women’s intentions are one of the most powerful forces on the planet. When women come together in support of one another, the expansion is unbelievable. I’ve witnessed women move rapidly from totally stuck to totally unstoppable, even in areas of their life where they have felt lost and confused for years. Sisterhood is without a doubt my #1 secret weapon for success.
I invite you to step into your freedom.
To experience the joy of going “all in”, the pure pleasure of living well now, and the positive power of sisterhood, I invite you to join The Virtual Sisterhood. I’d love to see you in the circle.
Prepare to experience magic: www.TheVirtualSisterhood.com
Finally, for an extra jolt of inspiration, here’s Lucy “working” from the beach:
