7 years ago this week, my husband and I ripped the foundations out of our life to begin anew.
On the day our son Oryn was born, Phil left his partner role at a digital agency where he had promising equity, a solid salary and generous benefits. When he left that role to be at my side in the depths of labor, he never went back.
We never went back to the life we had been living.
On that day, an entirely new reality was born. A baby, a business, a life, a new journey. All at once.
I found this post I wrote on October 15, 2017, a month prior to this big life changing moment. It was supported by several beautiful images (one shared here for reference).
āAs we near a point in our lives where a lot of transition is about to happen, MANY people are looking at us and wondering why. Why would we do all of this all at once? Why would we start a business and have a baby at the same time? Why put all of it on the line?
"It'll be too hard," they say.
"You don't know what will happen," they remind us.
"What if [insert a million and one things here]," they worry.
And all we can say is...we don't want or choose the easy road just for the sake of it being easy. We don't aim for ease and comfort. We simply aren't looking for the quickest way to make a ton of money with the smallest amount of effort possible.
What we do crave is an authentic life, lived to the fullest. We seek the wisdom that only exists at the depths of the most challenging experiences. We dream about the days when we will push through and conquer fears. We ache for the moments when we can celebrate a success or embrace a failure.
We want to live a life on our own terms.
And that's what we're doing. It won't always be easy. It won't always be clean, clear or simple. We won't always get along. And there are an infinite number of ways that our lives could take a turn for the worse or for the better. But instead of trying to avoid struggle, pain, fear, hardships and frustration, we're simply embracing life for what it is at any given moment. Even when it's messy. Life is supposed to be robust and cumbersome. It is supposed to get foggy and dark every once in a while. We're meant to go through the twists and turns of life so that we can enjoy the straight and narrow road every once in a while.
One thing we know for certain is that we're willing to put in the work, the heart and the intention to take care of ourselves, our family and our community. We have a vision for where our lives are going, but we also have a deep desire to create something in this world that will positively influence others.ā
Us back in 2017, a month before our first son was born. We hosted 30+ people from our community for a morning of meditation, conversation, connection and yummy food.
THE UNLOCK
Looking back on this picture, on this moment, my heart heaves in my chest.
With gratitude. With empathy. With compassion. With praise.
There they are, standing there, not knowing what would lie ahead. But fully, completely willing to try. To figure it out. To follow what felt most authentic to them.
Little did they know thatā¦
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the business they thought they were going to build - a restaurant - was not meant for them.
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there was a little boy in that belly who would break their world open and trigger tremendous love and experiences that they could have never dreamed of.
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another little boy would soon follow and break their hearts even further open.
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they would build multiple businesses together to make their lifestyle work.
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they would get to talk with and reach thousands of lives around the world with their words and creations.
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they would move three more times and build a custom home on a beautiful piece of property.
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they would face a pandemic, financial crisis, business breakdowns, the plethora of parenthood challenges, relationship distress, andā¦adulthood, which is hard all on its own.
And still, what they did know was that they wanted to live life on their own terms. They set out to do that.
Now, 7 years later, Iām eternally grateful for their bravery, their intentions, their BELIEF, their hearts.
They ignited a path forward that is one we can now be extremely proud of. Even with all of the challenges and missteps, we have stayed true to our values and intentions.
Through it all, we have learned. We have grown. We have loved.
Our family mission statement is: To design a life worth being proud of, through our commitment to intention, exploration and evolution.
Looking back on that reflection and this picture, Iām reminded that we live our mission every day, every month, every year. And what we experience because of it is nothing short of magical.
PERSPECTIVE
I also realize that thereās something Iām doing and writing today that will be a reflection point 7 years from now. A lot can happen in 7 years.
The same is true for you.
So what can we do and commemorate now to ensure weāre on the path we want to be on?
Write about what we truly want and what matters most. Post about it. Talk about it. We can do it privately in our journals or shout it out to the masses on social. All with the intention to give our future selves the GIFT of reflection and intention. So that someday, we may look back and realize how powerful and brave we were in the choices we made.
The other day, I hopped on LinkedIn and saw the most beautiful example of this.
Erin Shems, an incredible creative who is also a member of our Owl & Key community, posted about the massive changes sheās making for her life and now the lives of others in her business - EZippy Co.
Sheās boldly living her āNo Regrets Era.ā
Erin, I hope you keep your post accessible for your future self. You will look back on this moment and be endlessly grateful for the journey you chose to take.
It will be hard and equally beautiful. It will be maddening and equally delightful.
No matter what, you will feel proud. You will feel that EVERY step you took was at least in alignment with what you truly wanted.
And when you get to the end, you will be damn proud of the way that you lived.
A PATH FORWARD
This way of living is NOT a one-time decision. Intentional living is a mindset. Itās a choice at every moment.
As we face challenges in our own lives today, this reflection is a powerful reminder to ALWAYS stay true to our values and intentions. That our commitment to and fierce prioritization of what matters most to us is what makes our life so full and beautiful and dynamic. Itās what we can stand on, yelling from the mountaintops that we are free and confident and courageous venturing off the beaten path.
Sometimes, we get stuck on the beaten path, and then we are afforded the opportunity to remember who we are. And there is always a gift in that realization, pointing us to the right next step.
THE KEY
The most powerful tool I ever use is the question, āIf I died tomorrow, would I be proud of the way I lived today?ā
That question has sparked tremendous clarity and change in our lives.
It has put the power in OUR hands instead of in the world outside of us.
It has guided us to say yes to what matters and no to what no longer serves us.
It has provided a path forward when everything has felt dark.
Most importantly, it has led to the most beautiful moments of our lives.
YOUR TURN TO REFLECT
Below is a reflection opportunity for you to get clear on where this exists in your own life. Take a moment to settle in consider the questions below using the audio to guide you. When youāre finished with the visualization, answer the following questions:
