Day 10 – Celebrating Freedom!

Yay! I blogged fairly consistently for 10 days! I combined some of the days but I got it done! My first “yes” challenge has been completed! I’m pretty proud of myself as I’ve never put myself out there so often before.

My favorite blog post to write this week was “Finding My Tribe”. This post really opened my eyes to the tribe I already have and the support I didn’t realize already existed around me. It really brought up a lot of gratitude for those around me and so many thanks to the inspirations I have found.

I’ve really enjoyed opening up my mind and writing almost everyday. I haven’t written in a very long time and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it. The realization that I don’t need to be perfect to communicate what I’m experiencing or want to share, is a relief. I’m constantly trying new things and expanding my realm so why not share that with others or even simply express myself.

My next step is to keep the momentum with posting on my little blog. I have a few more ideas about what I would like to share and maybe inspire others. I’m going to keep educating myself and expanding my skill set. I’m very happy Natalie Sisson’s challenge popped up in my email and it has expanded my world.

My life is what I’m willing to make it! Like I mentioned in my previous post, I’m excited for the future and am completely enjoying my present moment. Small actions each day truly change ones life. Just beautiful!

I would recommend doing this 10-Day blogging challenge to anyone! Get inspired!

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw

This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 10

Day 9 – Location Independence

What I like most about my Freedom Plan is the ability to be location independent. The plan is to be able to work anywhere there is an internet connection. One day, I would love to be living on a piece of land in a remote location. I want to raise my children when I, eventually, have them. I would, also, love to travel around Europe or backpack across Canada. For these trips to happen, I will need to be completely location independent.

This concept is completely fathomable as the time changes and technology is adapted to our circumstances. Not to mention, there are so many examples of successful individuals working location independent that it’s easy enough to adjust your lifestyle… or my lifestyle!

Right now, my ideal day being location independent is outdoors. I would wake up in my camper probably in the woods somewhere near a water source. Go through the action of getting up, my morning run, cold plunge in the river, making myself a cup of coffee and sitting down to begin planning out my day. I would set up my “office” which is my tablet computer, project scribbler, reference books (still in the process of learning my new skill set) and possibly a larger monitor later on. I’m looking into purchasing solar panels for my devices and have found some great options! I would work for a few hours and then possibly go rock climbing, biking, sunbathing. Being able to incorporate more movement into my life is my goal. I would work a longer amount of time with shorter breaks until I’ve completed what I scheduled for the day. Then my evening activities would take place such as wild harvesting, medicine making and so much more.

Or maybe I’m traveling in Scotland and I would wake in a hostel. Go for breakfast at local cafe or equivalent. Find some Wifi and work for a few hours then off to tour a castle, hike or museum! I would then settle in during the afternoon and get some more work done. Waiting for a bus or train would give me the perfect time to work!

I’m excited to incorporate all of my lifestyle changes and well on my way! The future is finally bright and I’m looking forward to it!

This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 9

Day 8 – Choosing My Adventure

Two challenges have been a focus in my life at the moment. The first is this10-Day Blogging Challenge. The second is my say “yes” to new opportunities for at least two weeks.

There was one day earlier this week where I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and saw an event posted. I knew it was for me! I said “yes” right away. The event was a herbal medicine course out in the country for the weekend!

Early this morning, I drove the hour and a bit to the ranch the course would be held at. The morning was crisp. The leaves painted with fall colours on the rolling landscape. Even the beautiful harvest moon was still glowing bright in the sunrise.

The day was full of herbal knowledge and medicinal creations. Supportive and friendly people expanding their worlds into the local wilderness. Nourishing food, laughter and sunshine for lunch. I couldn’t have been happier! There is one more day and we will be making soap. I’ve been wanting to make soap for ages! Apparently, it’s really easy and I’ll be able to make a batch big enough to share with all the smelly characters in my life! Haha! I’m kidding of course but I would love to give handmade herbal infused soap as Winter Solstice gifts this year.

I’ll be creating a post with some of these recipes just in case anyone would like to try some herbal concoctions! There are easy effective DIY hygiene recipes that I’m excited to experiment with and slightly alter to fit my needs.

The drive back was just as great! I’m feeling full of magic and happiness or content. I’m so grateful for the time to expand and to take my time learning a new skill.

This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 8

Day 6 – Finding My Tribe

Finding my tribe is something I’ve been procrastinating with. Sure, I’ve gone to business seminars and workshops as well as entrepreneur classes but haven’t maintained any of those contacts. Fortunately, I do have some lovely people in my circle that are truly inspiring. They have stepped out and really opened up to freedom. They have started their own businesses and are growing in many aspects of their lives! The completion of their goals and what they are manifesting is remarkable. I’m thrilled to have these great examples so close to me!

Previously, my excuse was that I was too tired, too drained, too everything to go out and network. I would work and go home with the need to be alone. Now, I have my freedom. I’m realizing I can happily extend myself and have been practicing my networking skills by starting three random conversations per day with people I’ve never met before. I’m giving myself time to develop this skill.

Also, I’m finally getting to know my true self. This means I’ll be attracting the people and contacts that are right for me whereas before I was trying to fit into a tribe that I thought was for me but not. My tribe is out there, I just haven’t been open to it until recently!

As for mentors, I find Jessika Lecorre, with her business FeatherEagleSky, very inspiring to my heart and soul. She has combined spirit, health, beauty, self-care, education, family and care for the global community in her business. She is creating a positive influence, change and providing awareness for the dangers of chemical based cosmetics. She promotes movement and a general healthy lifestyle as well.

My other inspirational mentor is Hallee Hirsh-Martin and her business Smoky Holler Sourdough Tortillas. She’s creating a life of balance and self-sufficiency. The tortillas are a simple idea and she’s putting a lot of love into her creations. She supports her community by using local ingredients and sells them in her area too. Her whole lifestyle is so inspiring as she lives in a yurt, wild forages and left her old life to begin a completely different life.

These ladies, and a few more people, inspire me daily for which I’m incredibly grateful. They help me realize that I can create whatever lifestyle I want and have a business that can be a combination of my passions. Many blessings and buckets of gratitude to my fellow warrior and entrepreneurial women!

“A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea. For millions of years, human beings have been part of one tribe or another. A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.”
– Seth Godin, Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us

This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 6

Day 5 – Setting Myself Up for Success

The key to success is applying small steps everyday. Consistency is important! In this post, I’m going to mention some habits that I actively use each day to help myself move towards my Freedom Plan.

I focus on creating a schedule around the time I’m most productive during the day so that I can take advantage of it. The morning is when I get the most done and can stay focused for the longest periods of time.

Also, I find if I set my intention the evening before I can prepare myself mentally for completing goals the next day. Then there is my planner that I use to reverse engineer my bigger projects. If I have a big dream that I want to accomplish, I will write it down in my planner that way I have an end date. I, then, break the goal down into monthly, weekly and daily steps. Usually, I set up my weeks on Sunday evenings.

I’m finding I love to work outside and find the most peace there. My “office” is portable. I will work on my offline projects outdoors and then find a WIFI connection if I need access to anything online. I find working these two categories into my schedule helps with my organization. Currently, I set “work hours” for myself. Right now, this method is helpful because I have spent 11 years working for someone else. It’s been a challenging transition for me to work for myself which is a relatively new concept. Normally, I’m a very self-motivated person but when I work for myself I become unproductive. Setting my work hours, tricks my old brain into working just as hard for myself.

I keep my distractions to a minimum as I don’t look at my social media until after my “work hours” and if I do look at my social media then I’ve planned an update for marketing or personal brand development. I do however enjoy background noise and listening to a podcast, audio book, or music. The thing about the background noise is that I need to have heard it many times before. New audible content grabs my attention too much.

Some new habits that I will be applying are writing down the top three goals or MIA (most important actions) for the day. If I achieve these goals then I would like to celebrate it in little ways at the end of the day. Also, I will use the Pomadoro Technique which breaks down the day into 25 minute tasks. Set a timer and at the end of the period, I can give my attention to something not work related I would like to do for a short time. After the mini-break, I will be set another 25 minutes and so on. These habits are mentioned by Natalie Sisson in her Day 5 blog post.

The most important thing I can do for myself is commit to a task or goal. As soon as I do that, I get things done!

“Successful people are simply those with successful habits.”
– Brian Tracy

This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 5

Day 4 – Unlocking My Superpower

What are my superpowers? I have a special place in my heart for superheros and superpowers. I learnt how to read by looking at my brother’s comic books. There are some quality skills that I have acquired but I have found that I don’t enjoy actively using many of them.

When I wrote my list of things I’m good at, I found I could condense the majority of qualities and skills under the category Leadership. I am a leader. This is a natural quality but I have developed complementary skills such as mediation, negotiation, teaching, organizing, continuous learning, detail orientation, delegation, motivating, problem solving, listening, initiating projects, decision making and many more to better myself in this area. I really do enjoy leading. I have years of practice but also so much resentment. There was a period of time where I didn’t want to lead but was placed in those positions. Now, I’m opening back up and realizing all the possibilities that are available to me. I’m almost ready to start doing my part and influence positive change.

Most of the things I enjoy, I’m good at as well. I enjoy offering guidance or sharing tools that I have learnt and applied to my life. Sharing ideas and beliefs about spirituality. I’m really fascinated by dreams and offer dream interpretation. Storytelling is another fun skill. I link dreams and stories together as they tend to have the same archetypes. I find these practices connect us with our ancestors and all other energies.

I enjoy problem solving and experimenting. If I can DIY it, then I will! Connected to this is a passion to live as healthy as possible. I’ve cleaned up my lifestyle to include nourishing foods, chemical free beauty routine and incorporating a much larger range of motion.

There are many things that I like to do as I’m always actively growing as a person and one day very soon, they will all come together!

This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge

Day 3 – Creating a Vision for the Future

Envisioning my future is always fun for me! I have written down my perfect day many times but I’ve recently changed some of my ideals. Creating a digital vision board to look at everyday on my computer has kept me focused on my goals.

Without further ado, I present my perfect day!

It involves waking up as the sun rises to the beautiful supportive man by my side and some loving cuddles. My gratitude practice comes next with a glass of lemon water. Then a run, preferably barefoot in the nearby landscape. A chilly dip in a stream or river at the end of the run before meditation and some sunbathing.

Then home to have a nourishing smoothie for breakfast (probably a coffee somewhere in here) and time with my family before starting on my lifework for the day. The night before, I set my intention for the day and prioritized the top 3 goals I would like to accomplish. I would use half the day for my work which betters my local or global community in some way. I, then, would spend the rest of the day tending to the garden, harvesting, baking or creating. In the evening, I would love to gather with my family and have a beautiful meal together. Some reading before bed. At the end of the day, I want to have a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction as well as prayers and more gratitude.

Part of my dream is to live in the country, in a self-sufficient yurt with my beautiful family. I will be able to forage and grow food which I can share, create herbal medicines, raise my babies and enjoy wild moments. I, honestly, want a simple minimalist life. I want to support my family and give sanctuary as well as support to my community. Eventually, I would love to have one or two other homes located elsewhere in the world. Traveling is also important for new experiences!

There are more aspects that I would like to include in my life as I love constantly growing and changing but this is my perfect day filled with love, mindfulness, abundance and so much more!

“If you don’t build your dream someone will hire you to help build theirs”
– Tony Gaskins

This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 3

Day 2 – Discovering my WHY

It’s day 2 of the 10-day blogging challenge and those who know me have heard me mention having a Freedom Plan many times. I never thought to include the concept of a freedom lifestyle as part of my plan but it makes so much sense!

Why I have chosen the freedom lifestyle… This has been a tricky subject to write about because my first repetitive thought is I don’t think I deserve freedom. Although, this is a funny because I don’t even know what freedom is or how it feels. It’s also nonsense because everyone deserves freedom including myself! Fortunately, I have the opportunity to discover my freedom as I have opened myself up to it in all areas of my life. This is a very exciting time and a lifestyle I’m happily exploring!

For so many years, I believed that I had no other option but to work for someone else doing the worst jobs. I would be hired into positions that nobody else wanted or would be willing to do. I would master these positions and receive no gratitude or acknowledgment. Eventually, I would burn myself out. A person can only do this so many times before realizing that things can be different. Have I mentioned that I’m stubborn yet?

So, I chose to have a freedom lifestyle! I want a life that I can breathe in. A life where I can create a space for my lifework. I am determined to create a masterpiece that is innovative and new. Something that will provide guidance, balance and abundance to others. My lifework will be enjoyable and challenging for myself. It needs to be soul-fulfilling. The freedom lifestyle will have me eager to wake up in the morning to start my day. It will allow me to have balance in all the areas of my life. The freedom lifestyle gives me the space to figure out what my passion is!

This lifestyle will give me the flexibility to travel the world, live in inspiring places and work at the same time. I could take time off if I’m sick or just need a break. I want to have the freedom to take up the interests that have intrigued me for a long time such as glassblowing. I want to explore, have experiences and to open up to possibilities that I’ve never allowed myself to see before.

Now that I’ve had a taste of freedom, I am fully embracing and creating more in my life!

“Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.”
– Frank Tyger

This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 2 [insert URL for this blog post, which is http://suitcaseentrepreneur.com/10DBC-Day-2]

Day 1 – Finding My Focus

This is the beginning of a new chapter in my life as well as my debut blog post! A few weeks ago, everything in my life came to a breaking point. I’ve since made a decision to start following my happiness and my passion, both of which are currently unknown and way outside my comfort zone!

I’ve been faced with a few challenges since making my decision. The big one is my use of distractions. I use distractions like an addiction to avoid myself and my lack of self-worth. Am I worthy of success? Am I worthy of happiness, health and wealth?

It’s taken me a great deal of time to decide that yes! I am worthy of a good life! The major ways I have used distraction are through the self-help and new age scenes. There’s always a new technique, method or perspective to learn and apply for a few weeks then forget about. I found if I could keep grasping and jumping for a fantasy that someone else laid out then I would never have to face myself and live my life. I started seeing myself as broken and someone who needed to be fixed. If only I could work harder, juggle projects faster, eat correctly, change my perspective then one day I would become this “perfect” and “fixed” person.

One day, I woke up and my life was unbearable! I was trying so hard to fit into a mold that was clearly not meant for me. As a side note, I’ve realized the Great Goddess or Universe, or whatever label you give to this higher power, has a hilarious and dry sense of humor. She will always let you sit in your mess until you realize you’re headed in the wrong direction. She might even squeeze the path so that it gets harder and harder to the point where you stop breathing and progressing in life. I acknowledge that if I wasn’t so stubborn and determined that I wouldn’t have had to go to the end of the road to realize that it was so very wrong. Oh well, live and learn!

Near the end of this particular chapter, I decided that I had had enough. Quitting my job, creating a home in my car, purging the majority of my possessions with no concrete direction for the future has not been one of my best plans but sometimes drastic change is necessary. Comfort and the illusion of safety had become my crutch.

Shortly after my last day of working hard on someone else’s dream,  I planned a Vision Quest which consisted of a four day dry fast out in the mountains. It changed my life. I had taken one distraction with me which was my personal journal. I would use this tool to “process” everything I would be going through on the Quest. Thankfully, the Great Goddess intervened and my pen, the pen that never fails me, died the morning of my second day. I will keep the details of the Quest for myself and my heart but I have never realized how much time there is in a day. It dawned on me that without all the distractions, I could do and accomplish anything I wanted and I am worthy of my heart’s desires!

I’ve come back to my current reality with the relief that I can start fresh and come to terms with my past. My biggest obstacle is self-worth and believing in myself. I’m not sure what my next step is but I’m letting go and saying “yes” to the opportunities that come my way (as long as my heart agrees) which includes taking this 10-day blogging challenge. By letting go and quitting my habit of distraction, I hope to find a less abstract focus but happiness and passion are a good place to start!

Choosing happiness and following my passion one day at a time!

This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 1