My word it's been quite a year. It would be hard for me to sum up in one post but here's a try: -lots of learning -job changes - farm changes - started new projects - managed to not keep up with a few projects ;) When I look back at 2015, there are a few things I'd like to do differently next year. Rather than writing a bunch of resolutions, I'm going to take some time tonight to reflect on the year that was and what worked as well as what I would have like to have been different (did that even make sense?). Only after I've spent some time on that, I will be reflecting on who I really am and where I really put my energy. You see, it's all well and good to have resolutions and goals and aspirations but if your goal is to swim across some big body of water by the end of the year and you can't swim and you're scared of water, you might want to reconsider. Unless the "why" is really compelling (like you're raising money for some cause that deeply touches you and this is the only way to do it or something). So, start off thinking about what you want. Want to write a book? Want to paint? Go on a trip? Now, think about what you're going to give up to get that. That's right, you are, inevitably, going to give something up to get it. If you're a working parent who wants to be an at home parent, you're probably giving up most of your income. If you're hoping to write a book and need at least an hour a day to do it, you have to find an hour with something you want to do less than write a book. See what I'm saying? Want to swim across the aforementioned body of water? Run a marathon? Plant a garden? Lose weight? You absolutely will be giving up something to do that. Don't think so? Consider this - if not, then why haven't you done it already? It's not probable that you hit Dec 31 and suddenly thought "I want to write a novel this year". It's possible, I grant you, but most resolutions are things that have been brewing for weeks, if not months, and years. So, spend some time thinking about why you didn't give up something to make room for it before. So maybe before you start off with where you're heading, you could back track a little. Where have you been that you love? What makes you not care about the basics (like hygiene and eating)? What could you live in a tent for? What could you work in [imagine your worst job ever] to finance? What is as essential to you as life? If you never made any money at it, what would you be doing with your time? If it's Candy Crush (or something like that) are you being honest with yourself? Do you really want to give up an hour of "downtime" (secret: it's not down time to your brain) to write a book, paint, run, garden, swim, whatever? Really think about it instead of setting an impossible goal and then feeling like crap when you didn't meet it. If there is an hour you could give up (or 30 minutes or whatever) figure out how you can use that time to make progress towards your goal. Maybe every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday you'll use one of those hours to write, swim, whatever. I see it all of the time in my day job-people are going to drop out of life and live off the land, write and sell the next [insert big title here], paint a tonne of paintings, sell all of them and be famous, run a marathon, whatever. And they head out great guns only to have an injury because the last time they ran a 10k was 10 years ago or they waste hour "researching" the particulars of Victorian mourning rather than rocking the plot and making a note to come back to it (I may resemble that) or they pick up their phone and start onto Boom Beach and then they haven't started their Etsy shop, baked their sample cakes, or whatever. So be realistic. It's not a big thing to give up 30 mins every day or every other day for something you're really into - or is it? Instead of saying you're going to do it for a year, try it for a week. If you do it for a week, do it for another week and so on. Before you know it, you may have a whole year wrapped up and feel like you've achieved something. On the other hand, you might get to the end of the first week and realize you don't really want to make your own Willy's Wonka chocolates but you've only taken a week to figure it out. That leaves 51 weeks of the year that don't feel like you've failed. It's a big distinction. I've watched this cycle over and over and I can tell you that failing to meet your goal weekly for 52 weeks will knock the wind out of someone's sails. Failing to meet your goal for one week is usually no biggie. So before you get all resolutiony, may I suggest a few things to help? First of all - throw out the vision board crap. Seriously. People spend hours on those things and then sit back and wait for them to come true, or worse, rack up debt trying to shoehorn their life into having whatever they've cut and pasted without giving up anything to get there. Do some people use them well? Can they ever be useful? You bet but only as a visual reminded of where you're headed. Maybe do a board of what you're willing to do to make your dreams happen? That might be more useful. In my experience, Vision Boards are less than helpful. More energy goes into making them than achieving the goal they're supposed to represent. Building a Vision Board to help you stay the course, to help you dig in and work harder to achieve your goals, and to help you feel motivation when motivation is flagging is a very worthwhile endeavour. Building a Vision Board because the Law of Attraction will magically bring all of your wishes to you? Um, no. I agree that putting negative out often gets negative but if it were that simple, why does Donald Trump have so much and lovely refugees who may be the kindest, most positive people live in refugee camps. You see what I'm saying? Yes, you need to be positive but thinking that it's as simple as putting positive out there and waiting for good to come knocking on your door is lame and, frankly, privileged. Want more on that? Read Mark Manson's take on the Secret. It's awesome. Second - take some time to just think and be quiet. Don't have that in your life? You might not want to have a goal that requires that. Reflect on your life - all of the experiences you can remember, both good and bad - that's what's shaped you. Do you like who you are? Do you want to change? Third - realize that you may never find your passion or have a passion or live off your art or whatever thing you feel you should do. I loved Elizabeth Gilbert's statement to this effect in Big Magic. You might think "easy for her to say, she wrote Eat, Pray, Love" but guess what, she had been published before and didn't want to try to live off her art because she wanted to make the art she wanted to make, not burden it with being her income too. So yes now, she can live off her art but Eat, Pray, Love (not one of my favourite books, by the way) was written how it was because she had no thought of commercial success. We can all take a page out of her book and remember that when we're looking at goals. Maybe you can live off your art but consider this - what happens when earning your living means you have to compromise the integrity of what you are doing? And I don't just mean severely edit a book but really, to get the sale/contract/deal you have to do or say something that goes against all of your values. Are you someone who can scale down your lifestyle? Would you want to? Those are things to consider before you decide on big career changes. Or maybe that's the trouble- your company has been bought out by another company and you find their [whatever] practices odious. Can you live off less and work somewhere that you feel good about? Do you stay where you are and balance that out with working on the side for a non profit that's in line with your values? All things to consider. Once you have and you have a goal or two swishing around your unconscious (or conscious, whichever), here are some steps. 1: Inventory - who are you? Seriously. Are you a shy, introvert (no, they're not the same thing), nerd who loves to code and wants to be at home and never leave? Are you a go getter? Do you play well with others? Be really honest with yourself. You can burn or shred this later but really, if you don't get to the heart of who you are, it is so much harder to set goals that will fit you. How do you spend your time? So, you are interested in mechanics but you've never worked on any of the 16 cars in your yard? That would make me wonder what it is about mechanics that interests you. If you see that in yourself, ask that question -why do I think I'm interested but I don't actually do X, Y, or Z (that's zed here, by the way)? How motivated are you? I would ask that last one on a scale. From 1=I would sit on my couch, order pizza, and let the whole house fall apart around me while I watch Downton Abbey (or your own drug of choice) to 10= I am the type of person who can easily commit to giving up 30 minutes of TV (or whatever) in the evening to get up early and do that thing I want to do. 2: Where do you want to be by the end of the year? Not just what goal do you want to achieve but overall, how do you want life to look? Do you want to be in the same house? Same town? Same job? Same group of friends? Same academic or training programme? 3 : What are you willing to give up to make it happen? Seriously. This is a big one. I don't know anyone who is looking for time to kill on a regular basis. So much for the freedom computers would give us. If you're working a 60-80 hour work week, when would you train for a marathon? Would you take a different job to do it?
4: What are the baby steps to get there? It's not a big deal to allocate 30 mins a couple of times a week towards you goal. You can try it for a week and see how it goes. Add in the next week when you're successful. Hit the snooze button instead of getting up to the gym? Time to re-evaluate. Maybe you don't really want to [do that thing] as much as you want to stay up gaming. Maybe that's ok. 5: Who are you trying to impress? This is a big one. Your motivation to lose 30 lbs to prove your hotness to your ex much be huge in the first week post break up but it's going to lose oomph over time (which is a good thing, you want that to happen). Figure out a goal that's for you (and not to boost yourself esteem, just because it would be awesome). and go for that. Forget about proving anything or impressing anything, do the thing for the thing's sake. 6: How do you want to feel at the beginning, middle, and end of the process of getting there? Those are biggies and will give you clues about whether or not you're on track. 7: What big thing do you want to accomplish? It doesn't have to be anything. You could set a bunch of little goals throughout the year but fast forward and consider what you want to see when you look back at the end of 2016. Alright? I think you've got some work to do, now get at it.
0 Comments
Hey all, So I'm a day late and definitely a dollar short :) but oh so happy! So taken just before Solstice but captures perfectly the way I feel right now.
Happy Solstice to you all. So, I have been on a reading binge. That's the good thing about the Woodsman also being the Librarian - connections. I send him my list, he retrieves books. So far, it is awesome. This means I not only have a tonne of reading, I also have books to review. I decided to start with Urban Homesteading - Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living for a few reasons. I'll get into the adult and logical ones after I tell you about the reason this one leapt to the front of the pack. So, I'm on Amazon (no link - I'm still not sure about the affiliate thing) looking up books that I think I might like and of course, came across that one. Well, I start reading the reviews and some of them were so vitriolic, I couldn't help myself - I had to read it. Personally, those were some of the best reviews because they drove me right to the book. They complained about the political agenda of the book or something. There were comments about how this was supposed to be a homesteading book and about skills, not a political commentary. Well, I was hooked. Not only because there was a political component but because of the nasty reviews. The other reasons for review this book were much more staid and predictable -looked like some good skills, good stories from real people, and good information. You know, the usual. Nothing as good as the controversy on the Amazon page. There are complaints about the "new age clap trap" in the book and GASP! There's a section devoted to art because, right, we don't need art in our lives! And I think (though I may have it wrong) that this was linked to witchcraft or something. The funniest part though, is the debate that ensues. Someone recommends the Idiot's Guide to Homesteading or some such and someone takes offence that people are being called idiots. Oh my goodness people. Really. Even if someone did call someone an idiot, who cares. It's the internet. Put your computer away and chill (maybe take some time in the garden?). Anyway with all of that hilarity, how could I not read Urban Homesteading first? So, without further ado, enter Urban Homesteading. The Good: For me, the good was most of the book. I loved much of the authors' perspectives on the current state of the environment, how we got here, and what we can do about it. The information on Peak Oil was interesting and, while I've read a little that's tied into Peak Oil, I've not read much so maybe if I had this wouldn't have been new. I really appreciated the summary on Permaculture - again something I've dabbled in but haven't extensively explored. I definitely felt I left that section better understanding the concepts. I suspect you will as well. There are lots of clever container garden options and suggestions. These should be useful not only to people with smaller garden spaces but also those with larger ones but who need some specialized soil or have other factors that make container gardening a useful option. There are also some options for creating a community garden that tie nicely into the container concepts. The book is full of real life experiences - including before and after shots of normal houses (not show pieces created for the photo-op). They've also included the layouts of yards that are living this lifestyle. I absolutely love emphasis on the importance of dirt because they're right - without dirt you've got nothing. And of course, there were some arty things. I, for one, loved them. I loved the use of clay and plaster not only for practical projects but also to make things beautiful. Yes, I understand that people looking for a practical skills kind of book might not like that but it's a small portion of the book and I think there are few of us who don't try for some beauty in our lives. I found it slightly missed the mark for me because I live in a polar (no pun intended though we do have an Arctic Outflow warning today) opposite garden zone and so have different challenges. The one thing I would urge the publisher/authors to change for a future edition would be to add a table of contents. I found the lack of one a challenge when I wanted to go back to find something. Overall, I'd recommend this book for a beginner or even mid-level Homesteader. I thought it covered a very broad range of topics, had a lot of useful information, and a warm, approachable voice. I did find it heavy on the political but that didn't bother me. If it bothers you, consider yourself forewarned. So, I took the whole weekend off. I know - slacker! I had a great time working on a holiday gift or two and doing lots of reading, dreaming, imagining, and scheming. Yes, I know I could have prewritten posts but I like to be in real time with you so, I didn't pre-write any.
I do love birthdays and encourage everyone to celebrate theirs. And really celebrate it, don't over indulge in lieu of celebrating, you know? You made it for a rotation around the sun, and you have another rotation ahead of you. Use that as a time to regroup and reconsider and start really planning for what you would like your next year to look like. The thing of it is, we only have this life, and the more we can enjoy it and embrace it, without exploiting others, all the better. So, when your special day comes around, take the time to look inward. What do you want out of your next year? I don't mean thinking about things like winning the lottery or getting stuff or a raise or any of those fleeting, unimportant things. I mean really feel like. And then make a plan and make it happen. So, you know those people in your life? The really really wise ones. The ones who are so wise they make pretty big mistakes but actually learn from them and then are so full of wisdom that it's almost shocking? I have not one but a couple of them in my life. I'm continually bowled over by what I learn from them but this Wednesday, the one friend had the best idea. It was so great I could't help but steal it and make it my own.
She was talking about how she'd made some decisions that took her down some pretty bumpity roads and even though they were roads she could have happily done without, she got so much out of them at the end she couldn't really do without them. You know those sorts of roads? Most of us have been down them. Before I go any further, I should warn you this isn't a friend who is given to hyperbole or big emotional/dramatic anythings. In fact, some of her bumpy roads may have started with ignoring emotional stuff. She's one of those rock-solid, down-to-earth people that won't let you get your head too far into the clouds. Anyway, she was just reflecting on that and how even in her darkest, hardest times, she is still so far ahead of so much of the world and how she has so much to be grateful for. She was thinking that every day she would capture any image that reminded her of that feeling and do something - a collage, a display - so that she could be reminded of it when things weren't feeling so awesome and she'd forgotten all she had to be grateful for. I loved that idea. Though, I know myself and I knew that capturing an image per day was improbable and I would totally flunk at it. I also live in a teeny, tiny house with limited wall space (I have lots of windows and lots of books) so what would I do with all this gratitude? Sure it's important to collect it and be reminded but if it's closed off in something like an art journal, then it can slip out of your consciousness. I wanted something that would cue me without me having to remember it first. That led me to thinking about how I was grateful for Flannelberry and just having the space, energy, security, and will to dream about communicating with all of you. Of course the answer presented itself right then and there. My blog would be the perfect place for a weekly expression of gratitude. I will pick a regular day and write up something or post a picture that captures it for me. So, I doubt it will be Friday but for this week, why not? It was my birthday yesterday and I am grateful for my family and friends making it such a wonderful day. It was peaceful and full of generosity. I absolutely loved it and may have even relaxed. I feel so very lucky. Have a great weekend everyone. I have a problem with extremism. It's probably not the kind of extremism that you're thinking, really, especially given the media these days. No, my extremism is a different sort - I get extremely into whatever thing it is I'm into. My latest thing but, one I haven't been able to shake (ok, I don't really want to) are slow textiles. Slow textiles are ones that you're willing to wait for. They're hand made in some way and usually in some slow, low impact way. I'm a bit obsessed with natural dyes right now, to the point where I was COMPLETELY rejecting acid dyes. I even declined to teach an acid dye class. And then the irony of it all hit me. I wear regular clothes. Sure, I try to wear low impact, reused, reclaimed, homemade clothes and I definitely but truthfully, I have a closet full regular old clothes. And so does Wendell Berry. How is that relevant you ask? Well, as you already know, I might really admire him And I think we'd all agree his commitment to the health of the environment is beyond reproach and, as I was wrestling with this whole thing (how can I make and dye ALL of my own clothes and still do everything else I need to do in a day? Oh, and not look or smell overly historical) and there's Wendell Berry, sitting there in what appears to be a handknit sweater vest and a regular pair of pants and shirt. Regular, likely bought at the store. You know, maybe even made with some super toxic crap somewhere along the supply chain. I literally sat there staring at the screen. I wasn't really listening to the very important message, I was checking out his clothes. Now while it's possible he or someone close to him made all of that, I think it's improbable. Even some serious hardcores, like Norm Kennedy: But even Norm Kennedy, who does make some of his own clothes from his own washed, spun, woven, naturally dyed fabrics doesn't wear ONLY things he made himself. Sometimes, what happens for me is that I can't do the thing 100% and it gets me a wee bit hopeless about it. And then I just kind of abandon it. Well, I still feel strongly about the impact of the textile industry, and I would definitely like to be part of the solution but I also am realizing that I don't have to do ALL THE THINGS to help. Maybe that could be one of the commitments I make to myself for 2016? Less extremism? can I do it without being extreme? Hmmm.... If, like me, you find yourself guilty of having overmade jam once again, do not despair and do not throw it out - even if it's so thick it's more like candy than jam.
If you have too much or your just can't spread it, use it in place of other sweeteners in things. One of my absolutely faves is oatmeal with cream and... you guessed it. In this case, it's marmalade but you get the idea. World Soil Day is today. Did you even know there was a thing? I'm curious about it being in early December given that there's no soil here and even if you could find some, it's frozen!
However, I love the sentiment. So let's just pause for a second and give thanks to the soil. In my day to day paid employment life, I'm a clinical supervisor and a therapist. Although there are many things about this work that I enjoy, perhaps the greatest among them is when I'm able to help someone uncover their passion and start along a path that feels rich and fulfilling. Now, I've no delusions about the reality of needing a real income or that everyone will make zillions doing work they love and I get what a privileged, romantic view that is. There are real bills out there, right? So, here's what I know. Most of the people reading this wake up everyday and make choices about how they want to live. I've lately been working on scaling back the day job so I can be home more - gardening, tending the flock (literally - how awesome is that?), baking, cooking, writing, getting fibre dyed and ready for sale, doing all of the things that well and truly feed my soul. I also love my private practice and have always just fit it around this and that but enough of that, I'm going for it. Now, my employer didn't let me have my full pay on far few hours. In fact, to do this I had to do some different work that comes with a sizeable pay cut (but some other perks like flexible hours). We also hacked and slashed at the supervision part which means I (finally) am no longer responsible for the admin parts (like hiring and firing) and just help people with cases. So, I've increased my bills (paying private practice rent now) and decreased the pay I could rely on and it's not hard to type that and think "yikes!" If you had asked me a year ago whether I thought this would be doable or not, I would have said no way but I would have resented myself and my answer. Sure, I would have swallowed it but it would be there, it has been there for a long time. Now I'm at the point where it's do or die time. Really. I felt like a little peace (<intentional) of my soul got chipped off everyday but I had no options. But really, I do have options. Like pretty much everyone I know, I buy stuff I don't need; I buy coffees, I grab the occasional lunch out, J and I take separate vehicles to our jobs when, with a teeny bit of effort, we could car pool, and so on. When I made this decision (way back in August), I started taking steps. I've gotten back into the habit of baking bread, we're wasting way less (it becomes too easy to waste when it goes to the chickens), I'm making more of an effort with the garden/greenhouse, no lunches out (and I do mean no), no coffees, car pooling even when it's inconvenient and so on. And it's making a difference. A big difference. I truly did not expect this kind of difference. I think we've cut our grocery budget in half over the last couple of months (which is definitely significant). Now I really thought I had nowhere else to go - we live really frugally but there were these little things. Buying a coffee even once a month is $5. That's a lot of groceries, when you think about it. So, what's the point of all of this? Well, I believe that in each and everyone of us, there is a creative spark. I also believe, from many, many, many hours sitting with people from all walks of life, who are feeling like they're floundering or unhappy or dissatisfied or falling apart, or depressed or angry or drowning themselves in anything they think/hope/wish will take those feelings away that most of us aren't nurturing that spark ad it's making us sick. It's that spark that gives us hope, that gives us faith that things can be better. More importantly though, that spark helps us see ourselves, helps us to have a sense of agency and accomplishment, even if we just make things for ourselves. Now to be extra clear, I'm not talking about art making. Full disclosure: I went to a painting class today. I suck at painting. I'm not just saying that. I'm pretty sure that an average Gr 3 student could do better than me but I thought I'd give it a whirl. So no, I'm not talking about spark=art, for me, that spark comes in textiles sometimes (but not as much when I'm just making a pair of socks as dyeing yarn, to be honest) but just as often it exists in the baking of bread, the nurturing of plants, the catching of goat babies: The reality is that for many of us, we have to fit our creative spark around our lives - family and work. Sometimes we're lucky enough to have that spark also generate an income, sometimes it even stays sparky and feeds us. Even if that doesn't happen, we have to nurture and protect that spark because it's what feeds our mental health.
So, go and do something. Go and write a poem that you don't care if you publish, you just want to express yourself, go and paint on some bark, go and build something, bake something, grow something, knit something, do something that helps you feel and alive and connected. Figure out what your spark is (or sparks are, there's no obligation to have just one) and make it grow. Not because you're going to make a tonne of money off it but because it's part of staying healthy, vital, and alive. So, you probably have already realized I'm something of a Wendell Berry fan. I am continually amazed at how well he can articulate the state of the world, the reasons for it, and the interconnectedness of all things. I am equally awed by his ability to propose solutions, real solutions, and his understanding of why we're not moving towards those. Although our training is worlds apart, I feel like he is a kindred spirit in the work I'm doing. I mention him because of that intersection. He's helped me to clarify what I'm experiencing in session with a wide range of folks from a wide range of places (I've recently begun accepting Skype sessions with a select number of people). Many of the people I am seeing are in this truly deep state of depression that seems to require medication because it just won't resolve. Now, you will hear people throw out terms like "clinical depression" as if to differentiate from I know not what but I think it's to imply a biological origin that requires medication as opposed to something you can "fix". Interestingly, I see many of these people when they've run out of medication options and are still struggling. Now, before we go any further, let me assure you, they are very much struggling. What I am struggling with, in the face of their struggles, is that no one is talking about why people are struggling. No one is talking about the fact that people are achieving more, we have a higher standard of living across the board than ever before, in North America and lower life satisfaction. Why would that be? It's not probable that as an organism, our ability to process information and turn it into moods has evolved so the majority of people need some type of psychotropic to get through the day - and they're still depressed/miserable/exhausted. Evolution just does not work that quickly (consider our wisdom teeth, for example). The fact is that we're struggling because as a society, we're constantly getting a message that we, as individuals, aren't good enough, we aren't rich enough, organized enough, fancy enough, posh enough, happy enough, beautiful enough. No matter what we buy, it's not the right house, car, clothes, food - even if it was when we bought it. We should be fit and at the gym all of the time but at home with our kids or developing our creative pursuits, or committed to our work and exhausted by it but also fulfilled and doing work we feel passionate about and invigorated by with a smile on our face and a firm commitment in our hearts. But also at home helping our kids with their homework or volunteering, and making homemade everything. Our kids should be perfect and model children but also free to express themselves and be creative but also academic and athletic and independent and thoughtful but not cause too much of a fuss or go against the grain. And we should have me time but also self care (and no, they are not the same thing) but be 100% committed to our place and 100% committed to our family. Do you see where I'm going here? My currently feeling is, to put on my therapist hat, that we're living in a world where the adults are actually being pushed into an adolescent role and that is not healthy. The State will take care of everything for you - just buy things and keep the economy going and it will all work out. Except it's not, is it? Our epidemic of antidepressants and other medications would be the biggest sign of that. I was at a training a couple of years ago that really opened my eyes to the problem. The presenter - a psychologist who happened to also be a lawyer - gave us the stat that one of the biggest areas of growth in prescription medications was in 2-3 year old children who are being given psychostimulants for deficits of attention. Now, I don't know how much you know about 2-3 year olds but they are most definitely the poster child for deficits of attention and they're supposed to be. That doesn't say to me we have an epidemic of children who *need* medication, bad parents, or bad doctors. It says that as a society, we have no idea about whats normal development, and we put unrealistic expectations on a wide range of people starting around age two, it seems. We're also putting unreasonable expectations on the parents - toddlers are messy and can be loud and busy and they should be. If we medicate away what's normal, especially in a brain that's developing and changing that quickly, what harm might we be doing? And these poor parents have no idea where to turn - they just know that they have the "bad" kid, the one who doesn't fit the model and they don't know what to do so they turn to the experts. It's a pretty sick system. Instead of worrying we're missing the 1 kid who might really need some pharmaceutical help, we've cast such a wide net that a statistically significant number of families and kids have been caught in it. Where's the harm? Well, even if we know that the medication isn't altering brain function in a substantive way (something research has proven not to be true but I won't get into that here) the fact is that for me, this puts the onus back on the person as a flawed individual. It's not that each individual is inundated with messages that they can't possibly live up to, it's that something is wrong with you as a person. You're flawed and in need of help except that you're not. Much like a teen who is torn between the values of family, their social group, media pressure, and school, I'm seeing more and more people unsure and scared they'll mess up. And you know what, they're right. Life is messy people. We all step in the muck from time to time. It's not stepping in the muck that's the problem, it's how we stay in it until someone comes to get us out. If no one comes then what? The fact is, most of us have the tools to get ourselves out, we just need some elbow grease and we can do it. The biggest hurdle I'm seeing is that no one wants to walk around with muck on their shoes but we've all got some. Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less but no one of us are immune. Some of us can buy new shoes and hide each mucky pair in the closet but eventually, the closet fills up. We forget too that muck serves a purpose - it's cleansing, its fertilizing, without it we don't grow. So, embrace your muck, believe in yourself, and start having faith that you know more than you think. The Powers That Be will only take care of you for as long as they get something out of it but that's ok, you don't need them. You just need to believe in yourself, rely on the people you have real relationships with, and don't fear the muck._
|
AuthorI'm a 40-something writer and smallholder living in the wilds of BC with my family, our small herd of Nigerian Dwarf Goats, chickens, ducks, dogs, and cats. Archives
August 2017
Categories
All
|