More and more of my to-do lists include things that will make me happy. Instead of working myself to death over say, dishes, I want to include more day to day activities that bring a smile to my face. Like smelling the orange blossoms in my window.
My daughter gave me this journal a few days ago. I love its cork-like cover and its simple but profound words.
Do one thing every day that makes you happy. Enjoy a cocktail on the porch watching the sunset. Read a great book. Be with the ones you love. Take a walk. Indulge in a bit of chocolate. Dream big.
We have done a great job of creating a life here that brings us profound happiness. There are horses and mules that come to greet me at the fence line in the evenings. There is peace and quiet and good water and sustenance to be had here. It is spiritual medicine out here. We live great and we help people for a living. We spend a lot of time together and we get to be near our granddaughter often. We talk to our children often. We live a great and happy life.
I have worked hard to incorporate more silliness into my day to day. It does not come naturally to me! I was the oldest. I have always been responsible. I am more serious than silly. My husband is the ultimate goofy person. Lord, if he needed another job a comedian would be suitable. He is a happy-go-lucky man and it rubs off on me. Laughing and silliness should be a part of our day to day.
I may be forty years old, but I have lived through much more. I realize that life is whatever you make it. This journey is to be taken lightly! We are to love the Creator and our fellow creatures that share this Earth with us. We are meant to be happy.
The passions that are put in our hearts are there for a reason. A bit of a guide map, if you will. What do you dream of? What do you want to accomplish and do? How can you get to that point? If you had no fear, what would you do? It’s scary just saying it. Maybe it is skydiving or something like moving to Brazil.
If I had no fear…
I would sell my Apothecary. There, I said it. I don’t utter it because I don’t want folks to think that I am not putting as much effort into it. My recipes are amazing. And I believe that my medicine is the best out there. I really do. I think it is stronger than pharmaceuticals. I feel blessed that we have been able to help virtually thousands and thousands of people around the world over the years. That was my calling and I achieved that. But new whispers are being quieted in my spirit.
If I had no fear I would sell my apothecary, my recipes, my name, my website, and I would teach the buyer everything they need to know to pick up where we are right now and run with it. We have a huge client base. Doug looks terrified when I say these things. How will we make a living?
I don’t know but I know that I want to farm. I want to throw myself into farming. And teaching. I love teaching! I want to keep my Herbalist School and my Homesteading School. If we got enough to live for a year or two from the sale (this hypothetical sale…do people even buy businesses anymore?) we would have enough. We could see where the Creator leads us. I think there is something around the corner. It’s exciting and terrifying and often seems completely preposterous. But so did closing my dance company to become an herbalist.
A few things come to mind…when I wake up I am not excited to make medicine and fill orders anymore. I am excited to get outdoors, to be in the soil, to teach students, to share my enthusiasm, to grow fresh food.
And while we’re at it, I want to publish a book.
Alright, now it’s your turn. How will you add some silliness to your day? What will you do today that makes you happy? And if you had to fear…what would you do?
Farmgirl School 
write
Good luck with your writing!
I will dance around my kitchen with my kids because that fulfills both the silliness and happiness part of my day. For a long time I felt that fear kept me/us from fulfilling our homesteading dream. However, I now wonder if it was really fear. Maybe it was a that hidden knowledge that there are other parts of my being that need to first be fulfilled.
For a very long time I have wondered if the true me is a gypsy at heart. One who follows an unconventional way of life.
I like to experience life. I enjoy experiencing new things in life. Yesterday, I may have discovered one of the most intriguing ideas I’ve heard in a very long time. I wrote a blog post about it this morning. A nomadic lifestyle. Travel across the country in an RV in search of land to begin a homestead. Not a homestead in the way I have envisioned for the last few years, but a more historic definition of homestead. A creation of small self-sufficient communities.
When you have time, read my blog post. I have a feeling it’s something that would intrigue you as well.
We have plans of getting an RV in a few years and heading out for six months to see the nation!
We’ll have to meet up somewhere in our RV’s.
I am so not good at being silly. My husband like yours- is the true goofy one. I am embarassed by silliness… Thats a problem.. Gonna try and work on that. As far as fear. I took that first step yesterday when i signed up for the herbalism classes. If we both had no fear i would learn from you and be the person to buy you out!!! I am yearning with a fire so hot that it sears my soul to live a life more simple. Not to say farming and homesteading is simple. I hold no delusions on that. I grew up in the san luis valley mostly and spent summers on my uncles farm. Im a small town girl trapped in the big city. My husband is a master carpenter and craftsman and i just dont see why we couldnt do it. This one life is all we get and i am truly dying everyday in this city. I look at old homes in small towns all the time. When we travel we always say to ourselves” what do these people DO to make a living?” I yearn for space for a garden and a place for a few chickens and goats and a horse! Dogs cats and kids everywhere! On the plains or in the mountains i dont care. People think im crazy. Am I? I can grow a garden i can milk cows and goats. I can build a coop and i can compost. Im not a great cook but want to learn to can and make soap and candles and all things farm. I want to decorate my farm with quirky things like a garden stake thats a dragon fly made from 2 old wrenches. I want color and wonder and flowers and dirt and mud pies! A lazy front porch with chairs. My fear is that i have too much fear. Fear of the unknown. Can we do it? Will we survive? Can i live without everyday conviences?How does one even begin to change lifestyles? Sorry this is so long. This blog means alot to me and i gain great inspiration from you all!
By cutting bills down very low and living in an area that is cheaper (like Calhan) than the city one can make very little income by modern standards and live great. I hope you can buy me out and I look forward to seeing you in class!
If I knew no fear, I would sell the house buy something much smaller and Nick and I would spend the winters in Southern Europe and the summers in the north, maybe back in the UK. We would take the dogs and just live in the RV. But like you Joylene I’m too fearful. With regard to silliness, I love being silly, it’s no problem to me, my kids find it a bit embarrassing sometimes but they get over it!
How fun! What is the worst thing that can happen?
Oh boy, I can’t even go there with the “if I had no fear” question. Sometimes there is a balance you have to dance to see yourself through the trials you inevitably experience once your other “if I had no fear” dream has come true. (Or this is true for me) I wanted so desperately to be a fulltime farmer, and I got there, but what i had to do to get here is sort of biting me back right now. Perseverance is what I’m working this year. I do need more joy and silliness. Your post did get me thinking, I appreciate it. Life is so short and precious.
I bet if you sit back and observe from an “outsiders” view you will find the answer!
I don’t have much silliness in my life either. I tend to be serious, to a fault. I’m an oldest child too, and I’ve never connected it to that before but maybe that has something to do with hit.
If I had no fear for one thing I think I’d be more frank and honest with people, without worrying about hurting their feelings or what they would think of me. So for example when my neighbor starts spouting off his crazy political beliefs, I’d tell him that what he’s saying is ridiculous. But I think the fearless me would often end up looking like a jerk. 🙂
Thanks for this thought-provoking post.
I, too, wish I weren’t so darn concerned with everyone’s feelings! I am very careful about what I say and then feel guilty if I say anything wrong. I would like to be able to express myself better off of paper!
I take every opportunity to be silly. It’s easy when you have kids and animals. My goats respond best to baby talk and my cat comes with my dogs on walks so I’m always laughing. If I had no fear I’d do a better job marketing my book and I’d buy a horse ( this is a mix of fear and lack of funds).
Write that book! It’s so much fun.
Most of mine are fear mixed with lack of funds too! But if we will it into being the funds will follow!