I’ve been intrigued by the idea of writing a book about our travels across the US for a while now. For more years than I can remember, I’ve periodically had friends or family members or strangers ask if we were going to write a book about our adventures, or strongly suggest that we do so. In addition, I’ve long recognized that keeping this blog means that when I was ready to write that book, I’d have an assortment of stories to draw from.
Meanwhile, after putting my focus elsewhere (hello, operation: get to Canada!), for many months, in January I shifted my focus back to building my coaching business and other creative freelance work, both online and here in Canada.
I’ve got a giant to-do list, but I wasn’t feeling a lot of certainty about where my priorities should be as I relaunch things. Should I get more active on social media? Hop back into podcasting? Launch a course?
The universe, apparently, had other plans.
That Wednesday, I took Squeak, our cat, to the vet. Over the phone due to COVID, the veterinarian I had never met told me she’d “read the book about us traveling the US with a cat and having kittens”. I told her I’d probably have it written in 2-3 years – she seemed a little surprised. 🙂
Saturday, during a local (Zoom) book club meeting, after I’d introduced myself, a new friend said she’d “read the book of me traveling the US, coaching”.
Sunday, during a different Zoom book club, an acquaintance commented it looked like I was writing a novel – I was taking notes as we chatted. At the end of the session, she called out something like “Jamie, I want to read your book when it’s done!”.
So, yeah. Message heard loud and clear, universe!
The next day, I began writing my book.
Has the universe ever spoken to you? Or yelled at you?
Comment and let me know if I’m alone in this, please!
P.S. If you haven’t subscribed to this blog yet, that’s a great way to make sure you hear about my book when it’s available for pre-order! There’s a subscribe button – on your mobile, it should be the bottom right and say Follow, or look for a box on the right hand side if you’re on a computer etc. Thanks for your interest!
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Supporting Our Blog
We are so thankful for your support of our blog and our careers! You can help further by doing any or all of the following:
Make purchases via our Amazon website links. There is no additional cost to you, and a portion of the proceeds can support our travels. Begin your Amazon search here.
Make other purchases using our affiliate links. Signing up with Dosh is a great way for everyone with a smartphone to support us, and we also have options for aspiring virtual assistants as well as occasional and full-time RVers to save money.
Subscribe to our blog, as well as perhaps InSearchOfAScoop.com, and recommend our work to your friends and family.
Take music or theater lessons (group or private) from us, either in person or via Skype at TinyVillageMusic.com.
If you found us by RV Trader, hello, and thank you so much for your interest in our RV! And to my regular readers, thanks for your patience as we focus our time and energy on moving to Canada and selling our RV.
Looking for your own rig, at an affordable price? Read on! We’re currently parked in Londonderry, NH.
UPDATE: Since we first listed this RV, a former mechanic inspected it and we found out two things: 1 – the RV isn’t starting without a jump. We anticipate it needs a new battery and 2 – the propane tank is getting rusty, so it should get replaced soon. If you’re still interested, read on.
Settled in for the summer!
Our RV Trader Listing (priced at $18,000 or best offer)
Ready for adventure at an affordable price? This class C has all the essentials with newer tires, under 70,000 miles, and a great layout in a convenient vehicle at that “just right” size.
Highlights
With an a/c and fans, inverter, propane generator, water filtration and batteries new in 2018, you’re equipped for all kinds of weather and adventuring. Entertainment center with a flatscreen TV, storage for game systems or bluray players, and speakers for playing music throughout the rig. All back tires were replaced new in 2020. (Front look good, but will likely need to be replaced in a year or two.) Fantastic storage, and a double sink in the kitchen make for a very livable layout. Drives very well Exterior wash station Big enough for full-time living, but with no slides and less than 25’, easy to park in parking lots and campground spaces
Fuel: 55 gallons Holding Tank – Black: 39 gallons Holding Tank – Gray: 29 gallons 18 gallon propane tank (fillable to 80% per manufacturer)
The scoop: We are the second owners. We bought in 2016 and lived in for 5 years traveling. We are selling only because we are moving to Canada and into an apartment for our next adventure.
Two flexible seating/dining areas that convert for sleeping and have room for storage underneath, and the TV/entertainment center is awesome, with excellent storage for books, games, and all of your extra linens too. The kitchen is easy to use and clean, with a VERY spacious RV refrigerator. A privacy curtain divides the back bedroom from the rest of the RV, leaving the space open by day and secluded at night.
Find us on Instagram: @rossandjamieadventure Find our website (with more photos of the rig): RossAndJamieAdventure.com
Other Notes:
There are a few kitten scratches on the couches, and well-used blinds. We replaced the ones over the couch (with delightful light pink insulating curtains). The water heater hasn’t worked since we bought it (2nd owners) and we never replaced it since we shower at campgrounds when it’s cold. We removed the old awning, but kept the metal structure to support a new one. Our electric step stopped working and we didn’t fix – we use a stool. A couple of the electrical outlets no longer work. We are pricing this to move quickly so we can pay off our loan and focus on our new apartment. We’ll throw in our RV surge protector and other accessories so you can hit the ground running. We’d love to make a new person, couple, or larger family’s dream come true!
Additional new note: the RV is no longer starting without a jump. Interested buyers should be prepared to jump it when they visit it to tour or purchase. And the propane tank, while it works, is getting very rusty and should be replaced soon.
Also, in better news, we have videos that we recorded when we bought the RV, with the dealer walking us through how each system works. We’ll share those with you upon purchase if you’re the buyer. 🙂
Love what you see? Email rossandjamieadventure@gmail.com ASAP – this will sell quickly!
Additional Info for our “as is” rig that didn’t fit in our listing:
Make: Winnebago Minnie Model: WF324V (24V) Current Mileage: 69,667.50 Serial Number: 10344F291845 Chassis VIN: 1FDXE45S75HB23672
Manufacturer’s original suggested retail price: $61,596 plus $8,237 in extra features. With $625 delivery and handling, originally priced at $70,458. We paid about $25,000 for it in 2016 at 33,000 miles.
Fuel: 55 GAL Freshwater: 44 GAL Holding Tank – Black: 39 GAL Holding Tank – Gray: 29 GAL LPG (Fillable to 80%): 18 GAL
GVWR: 14,050 GAWR (weight that can be carried by an axle): Front – 4,600 Rear 9,450 Total weight: 14,050 Weight at the factory originally w/ full fuel, oil and coolants: 10,315 SCWR: 462 CCC: 2,846 GCWR: 20,000 (max allowable loaded weight of motorhome and any towed trailer or towed vehicle)
2005 Winnebago Minnie 24V Class C RV
Standard Equipment (Manufacturer Listing w/ notes): Ford Chassis
Interior Bed – Queen Ceiling material – textured fabric Dinette w/ storage below Lounge chair Extra storage w/ outlet (designed for microwave oven) Range – 3 burner w/ oven Range hood w/ light & fan Refrigerator/freezer double door Sink – galley, double molded recessed Shower w/ ABS surround & skylight Toilet w/ foot pedal & sprayer Vinyl floor in galley, bath & entry Wallpaper border-decorative Wardrobe cabinet w/ mirrored door
Systems Battery – deep cycle, marine/RV (replaced in 2018) Battery disconnect system, coach City water hookup w/ gravity fill Electrical system – 30 amp – power cord Converter/charger – 45 AMP Furnace – 25K BTU ducted, low profile Generator prep w/ gas line & 12 volt LP tank – permanent mount w/ gauge Sewer hose stored in service comp TV antenna w/ cable input TV satellite system prep in roof Water heater – 6 gal. elec. Ignition (not currently working, needs to be replaced) Water pump – demand
Safety Appliance tie downs Carbon monoxide/LPG detector/alarm – recently checked and updated Fire extinguisher – 10 BC GFI Smoke detector/alarm
Airbags, driver & passenger Power windows & power door locks RV radio – AM/FM stereo/cassette/CD (w/ added, upgraded sound in the “house” part of the RV) Seats – adjustable slide/ recline Roof – curved w/ fiberglass skin A/C roof – mount, 13,500 BTU ducted Roof vent – front & power in bath Water system winterization package
Added features by manufacturer Entrance step – electric (needs repair, currently we use a stool) Couch Ford Chassis 14,050 LB.GVWR Battery-second Drainage system – heated Inverter-DC/AC, 300 WATT Gen-4.0KW-Onan gas-microquiet Vent-power ventilator TV-Flat screen w/ remote (think this is either the 27” or 32” upgrade – it’s nice!) Dinette – L-shaped Floor covering – vinyl – thru out Awning- patio (removed, frame remains) Wheel liners – stainless steel Exterior wash station Material surcharge Owner added – Water purifier for system
Ready for adventure at an affordable price? This class C has all the essentials with year-old tires, under 70,000 miles, and a great layout in a convenient vehicle at that “just right” size.
Highlights: With an air conditioner and fans, inverter, propane generator, water filtration and batteries new in 2018, you’re equipped for all kinds of weather and adventuring. Entertainment center with a flatscreen TV, storage for game systems or bluray players, and speakers for playing music throughout the rig. All back tires were replaced new in 2020. (Front look good, but will likely need to be replaced in a year or two.) Fantastic storage inside and a double sink in the kitchen make for a very livable layout. Drives well, with comfortable seats Exterior wash station is really convenient Big enough for full-time living, but with no slides and less than 25’, easy to park in parking lots and campground spaces 44 gallon fresh water tank Fuel: 55 gallons Holding Tank – Black: 39 gallons Holding Tank – Gray: 29 gallons 18 gallon propane tank (fillable to 80% per manufacturer) Removable tables for dining and flexible seating Sleeps 4
The scoop: We are the second owners of this awesome rig, which we bought in 2016 and lived in for 5 years. We’ve driven from NH to AZ and NM, FL to NM, and around the Pacific Northwest briefly too. We’ve put about 43,000 miles on it, and we have absolutely loved our home. (We highly recommend spending time in New Mexico, our favorite so far!) The only reason we are selling is that we are moving to Canada for a while – my husband is going back to school, so we are returning to apartment life. (I will get my travel fix in part by coaching aspiring adventurers as we move forward!) We are ready to sell quickly.
This unit is super flexible, with two seating/dining areas that convert for sleeping and have room for storage underneath, and the TV/entertainment center is awesome, with excellent storage for books, games, and all of your extra linens too.
The kitchen is easy to use and clean, and there’s a very spacious refrigerator that easily holds a week or more of groceries for two people.
There’s a privacy curtain to divide the back bedroom from the rest of the RV when you go to sleep at night, leaving the space open by day and secluded at night.
Find us on Instagram: @rossandjamieadventure Find our website (with more photos of the rig): RossAndJamieAdventure.com
Other Things We’ve Upgraded/Changed: -We once raised kittens in this RV! So there are a few scratches on the couches, and they beat up our blinds a bit. We outright had to replace the ones over the couch (with delightful light pink insulating curtains) -We’ve made regular repairs occasionally on the chassis and house. Our rig is due for an oil change. Pre-pandemic, we visited our RV mechanic yearly for an inspection in addition to any repairs we needed to make. -We hit hail in Colorado in June and it broke our fan covers. We replaced them. -We had some rust underneath and our first battery compartment rusted out. We had a welder rebuild it and the batteries replaced in the fall of 2018. -We added a water filter, easy to source cartridges at RV stores or Walmart every 3-6 months. It helps! -Our generator isn’t used much, but we run it periodically and it works well. -The oven, stove, water, sewer etc. work great, and you’ve got lots of storage behind the TV (perfect for linens, sleeping bags, other light stuff) in addition to your closet, shelving, and storage compartments.
Other Things To Know: -Our water heater didn’t work when we bought it. We mainly shower at campgrounds, so we didn’t attempt a fix. We were quoted $500 for a new water heater. The shower is perfect when we use it in warmer temperatures. -We removed the old, tattered awning, but we left the structure so it can be replaced. -Our Ford chassis is a workhorse, but to avoid draining the battery, we disconnect it when we will be sitting for more than a few days. It’s made our batteries last much longer. You’ll get the ratchet set we use with the RV and we can demonstrate exactly what we do, if you’d like to do the same. -Our electric step got stuck “out” in 2018, and after having our mechanic get it in place, we bought a stepstool to use instead. -A few of the electrical outlets no longer work. We had an incident with an electric heater early this year. We use extension cords and can show you how we make it work, but if you’ve got the time to get that fixed, even better. 🙂 (All the essential outlets for us – entertainment center, kitchen area where you could have a microwave or other appliances, plus one over the TV) are still intact.) -we will throw in levelers, hoses, amp converters etc. with the sale, as well as an always pricey RV surge protector. Less for you to buy! -Though we never tried towing, the rig can handle towing up to 5,000 pounds.
We are pricing this to move very quickly so we can pay off our loan and focus on our new apartment. We’d love to make a new person, couple, or larger family’s dream come true!
This week has had lots of excitement. My new group coaching program, Crafting Your Life Adventure, is launching soon, so I’ve been sharing lots of tips and information on Instagram and in my Facebook group.
We also got word that as of April 5th, Florida residents can get the vaccine, so we are seriously considering a trip to Florida in the coming weeks (perhaps to spend a month or so there, depending on which vaccine we get).
But our biggest news, which I am THRILLED to finally be able to announce, is that we are moving to Canada this fall!
Ross has been teaching music for more than fifteen years, and he has an associate’s degree in audio production that he frequently draws upon as a composer and as an audio/podcast and video editor. But what most people don’t realize is that he has never completed a bachelor’s degree or a degree in music.
As we debated where we wanted to go next, we were reminded of how much we LOVED our honeymoon on Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. In fact, after spending time in Charlottetown, we had multiple conversations where we kept saying “how do we live here? How do we get back here?”.
Moving to Canada isn’t easy, but it was a dream that we kept in the back of our minds all of this time. With the uncertainty of health care in the US, our desire for better options kept resurfacing.
Last fall, we decided our next step should be to attempt to go to Canada. Since Ross hasn’t had the opportunity to get a bachelor’s degree yet, that seemed like our best course of action. I’m thrilled to report that Ross got into his top choice school, the University of Prince Edward Island, and he even received a $3,000 merit scholarship from the music department!
He’ll be studying music education, composition, and classical guitar, and he’ll be getting his bachelor of music degree. I am SO proud of him – keep in mind, he just bought a classical guitar for this audition, and he’s only been playing it since December!
If you’ve never been to Prince Edward Island, it’s astonishingly gorgeous. Like, take your breath away. Though we are going to miss New Mexican cuisine, warm winters, and being able to visit our favorite spots in the U.S. via RV (gosh we will miss our RV!), we are looking forward to unlimited hot showers in an apartment in an awesome city (Charlottetown) and plan to purchase a van large enough to camp out of when the weather is nice.
School begins in September, so we will head to Canada in August, provided visas and all of the other details come together as planned.
2 – Buy Jamie’s Crafting Your Life Adventure course – perfect for aspiring adventurers, whether you dream of starting a business, traveling the country, or creating a schedule full of joy and freedom (or all of the above!)
Thank you so, so much for supporting us and this amazing life adventure. It’s been almost five years of RV life, and we are so blessed. We can’t wait for what’s next!
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Supporting Our Blog
We are so thankful for your support of our blog and our careers! You can help by doing any or all of the following:
Make purchases via our Amazon website links. There is no additional cost to you, and a portion of the proceeds can support our travels. Begin your Amazon search here.
Make other purchases using our affiliate links. Signing up with Dosh is a great way for everyone with a smartphone to support us, and we also have options for aspiring virtual assistants as well as occasional and full-time RVers to save money.
Subscribe to our blog, as well as perhaps InSearchOfAScoop.com, and recommend our work to your friends and family.
Take music or theater lessons (group or private) from us, either in person or via Skype at TinyVillageMusic.com.
Well, it’s been one of those weeks here, but first of all, I hope you are well and staying warm! Much of the United States is dealing with unusual cold (with Texas particularly struggling), and we’ve had some of those cold temps in our RV here in New Mexico too.
The biggest bummer was that our space heater gave out – and killed most of our outlets in the RV in the process. That means most of the places we plug in aren’t working anymore – and we are very lucky we didn’t have a fire in the RV!
We’ve also had the nuisance of the campground turning off our water for several days in a row.
We are still sorting out next steps and whether insurance will cover the damage. In the meantime, the key for me to getting through this week has been gratitude.
Here are ten things I’m grateful for this week:
Propane heat (and a nearly full tank)
The extra income to order a new space heater without saving up for it
Lots of delicious food we’d made over the weekend
Bottled water
Hot Hands hand warmers (I sleep with them on my toes, between two layers of socks)
Tea
A working microwave and television
Cell phone and internet
Warm clothes
My incredible family
So, I challenge you! What are a few things you’re grateful for this week?
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Supporting Our Blog
We are so thankful for your support of our blog and our careers! You can help by doing any or all of the following:
Make purchases via our Amazon website links. There is no additional cost to you, and a portion of the proceeds can support our travels. Begin your Amazon search here.
Make other purchases using our affiliate links. Signing up with Dosh is a great way for everyone with a smartphone to support us, and we also have options for aspiring virtual assistants as well as occasional and full-time RVers to save money.
Subscribe to our blog, as well as perhaps InSearchOfAScoop.com, and recommend our work to your friends and family.
Take music or theater lessons (group or private) from us, either in person or via Skype at TinyVillageMusic.com.
Do you consider yourself to be a religious person? Or a spiritual person?
It’s something that I’ve struggled with somewhat for as long as I can remember. I’ve always wanted to have faith, to have a certainty or sense of knowing or trust about what’s coming.
I grew up Episcopalian, aka mainline Protestant, aka Christian, in a fairly liberal, “low” church that saw more diverse families than I ever saw in my classes at school. It wasn’t unusual for our pastor (a woman) to have us dance around the church, singing a song that wasn’t in our hymnal, or have us engage in discussion groups during worship.
Nevertheless, even with her occasional elaborations and interpretations of the beautiful Episcopal prayer book, I still grew up with a fairly “by the book” religious education.
Going through confirmation classes, I did my fair share of questioning, but I’m also a rule follower, so it didn’t occur to me to do anything but complete the classes and get confirmed in the church.
When I went to college, for the first time I felt like I had a wide variety of options for where and how I would worship. Some of my friends became Pagan (intriguing, though it never occurred to me at the time to seek it out), but after trying out an Episcopal church service in town (nice, but nothing too memorable for me), I found my home at our college Protestant services.
These ecumenical services brought together students and staff from very diverse backgrounds, and they were designed to give everyone a little taste of the familiar. So we’d sing a “traditional” hymn or two that I might have sung growing up, and we’d have a praise and worship part of the service, led at the piano by our African-American pastor who had grown up Baptist and gotten his bachelor’s degree in music. For that section, there was no need to hold the hymn in our hand – the pastor would call out the lyrics and we’d follow him for the cues.
There might also be another hymn or two from a different hymnal, and perhaps we’d have a guest performer, and every other week, I’d sing with the gospel choir, where I was usually the only white singer and learned every song by ear – an incredible contrast with my strict, traditional, white, Western music education. It was a wonderful immersion in another culture and a new experience for me.
I’d stand on the stage with the choir, singing gorgeous music that filled and uplifted the space, and I’d be in my element. Afterwards, people would come up to me and say how transformed they were by my solo, or how much they enjoyed our performance, how moving it was.
I always wished it would move me that way. I felt like something was missing, something was wrong with me. To be fair, music did sometimes give me glimpses of God, just brief moments, when all the musical parts would come together perfectly. But otherwise, I’d always feel like there’s something wrong with me. Jason Robert Brown describes it well here when he requests, “Let the music begin.” and “Longing to feel what you feel…music of heaven to open some path to your soul and let something glorious in.”
After leaving the utopia that my bubble of a college experience was in many ways (definitely lots of privilege there), I spent the next year traveling the country with a children’s theatre, followed by a few additional years of searching when I settled down in New Hampshire. In weeks that I had some flexibility on a Sunday, I made a point of checking out a local church (in hopes of finding the connection I’d been seeking). I enjoyed the contemporary Christian experience from a music standpoint, but found it didn’t resonate with me in terms of beliefs. I found lots of mainline Protestant services that reminded me of home (similar, but different), and I got angry at the Catholic church a couple of times. I also had a couple of truly frightening interactions that I won’t get into here.
Later, I found a ton of satisfaction as the accompanist at churches I found a home in. I loved the communities I worked in, and in addition to those occasional transcendent music, I was delighted to help other people find those connections to God through my music.
In more recent years, I’ve loosened up my definition of spirituality. Maybe I’m never going to feel that clarity I’m seeking every Sunday. Maybe it’s more a question of creating a practice of contemplation, where I seek wisdom, get in touch with my inner knowledge and seek connection with the universe. I connect with nature. I read. I engage in challenging conversations. Creating sacred time for myself each morning has evolved into one of my favorite things about my day, and I’m so thankful to have a morning routine that truly lights me up and makes my day better.
Working with my clients, I’m finding it’s really important to encourage them to take time for themselves to check in and be still each day. We all need that time for ourselves, and the consistency of a morning (or evening) routine offers us so many benefits. For some it’s meditation, for others prayer or reading and journaling, but it is essential.
Do you aspire to have a consistent morning practice? If you’re working to create the life you want, it may feel daunting to acknowledge where you are now compared to where you want to be. I encourage you to take one small step today to get aligned with your dream life.
Does the dream version of you make time for a prayer each morning? Practice gratitude before bed? Take a walk outside? You may not have the car of your dreams, or the abundant bank account, or the dream schedule, but I’ll bet there are steps you can take today to make your present more like your future.
So while spirituality or religion isn’t a requirement as you create your dream life, it’s important for all of us to have some grounding practice that centers us each day. And honestly, sometimes even very religious people, on the outside, aren’t taking enough time to do the work on the inside.
If you’d like help with this, let’s get on a call to discuss how I can help you get there.
Do you have a sacred practice? Does it light you up? If not, what’s one change you can make this week to get you more aligned with your future and best self?
P.S. Ross’ new holiday ukulele album (it’s gorgeous!) is available now – what a perfect gift for a friend or yourself – and Ross’ online ukulele course is now available for purchase, less than half price until the end of the year. And my new Facebook group is a great place to chat about next steps in your life and career!
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Supporting Our Blog
We are so thankful for your support of our blog and our careers! You can help by doing any or all of the following:
Make purchases via our Amazon website links. There is no additional cost to you, and a portion of the proceeds can support our travels. Begin your Amazon search here.
Make other purchases using our affiliate links. Signing up with Dosh is a great way for everyone with a smartphone to support us, and we also have options for aspiring virtual assistants as well as occasional and full-time RVers to save money.
Listen to, subscribe and review our theater comedy podcast, Finishing The Season!
Subscribe to our blog, as well as perhaps InSearchOfAScoop.com, and recommend our work to your friends and family.
Take music or theater lessons (group or private) from us, either in person or via Skype at TinyVillageMusic.com.
Self-doubt is so, so common, and when you’re a business owner and/or a creator (or aspiring to be either), it’s common to find yourself plagued with doubts. What if this investment doesn’t pay off? What if I lose my clients? What if the economy goes south? What if I’m not as good at doing __ as I think I am?
It’s so easy to get on the doubt train, and when you get started, it can be so, so challenging to get off. And yet we know that those negative thoughts feed on themselves and sabotage our progress. What we focus on tends to be what we bring forth, or manifest.
So what if, instead, we make a conscious effort to change the conversation. When those worries and fears creep in, can we give ourselves a reset? Let’s try a mantra, or an affirmation – a phrase that you will repeat over and over again, in your mind and, if you dare and ideally, outlead.
Your success is inevitable.
Try it again.
Your success is inevitable.
So the big question: what would you do differently (in your business, in any area of your life) if your success were inevitable?
Ex. If you struggle with relationships, and you’ve been holding out on getting back in the dating game out of fear. What would you do if your success were inevitable? You’d keep trying, right? And maybe you wouldn’t put so much weight on a given date or interaction, laughing off the awkward coffee conversations knowing that sooner or later, you’d find the person of your dreams, and it would all work out.
Ex. If you knew investing $2,000 in your business now would translate to making $100,000 in your business next year, would you do it? I certainly hope you would! The cost/benefit analysis is clear.
So much of our success or failure, ultimately, stems from our confidence. If we believe with 100% confidence that we will be successful, that confidence is contagious. Our clients and potential clients see the way we ooze confidence and go yes, I want some of what she’s having! The people we date sense our charisma and our detachment from the outcome of a given moment and want to spend time with us. And while failure is really common, the sooner we show up and give it all, the sooner we take the next steps in our business and our life’s growth, the sooner we will get there. Instead of this do I or don’t I, will it work or will it not, we move on to the next step in our journey. If this particular venture is going to fail, wouldn’t you rather know now? I would!
I recently invested about $2,000 in a coaching mentorship. I’ve been loving coaching, feeling an incredible passion for helping people to achieve the life of their dreams, and I wanted some extra confidence to help me in building my business. I could have kept going it solo, but I knew that this calculated investment felt truly aligned for me – I was a little fearful, of course, as we often are before we commit to something or purchase something. But it was all I could think about, and I was super excited about it.
So I went for it. And I was so passionate about it, showing up with enthusiasm each week for my studying, my business and my clients. I know that investment will pay off in dividends as I’m now a more confident and skilled coach ready to work with more clients, create new offers and help people achieve their goals.
So I challenge you today: what would you do if your success were inevitable?
Leave me a comment, write about it in your journal or send me a message and share. Don’t let fear hold you back- there is so much you’re capable of. The world needs you.
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Supporting Our Blog
We are so thankful for your support of our blog and our careers! You can help by doing any or all of the following:
Make purchases via our Amazon website links. There is no additional cost to you, and a portion of the proceeds can support our travels. Begin your Amazon search here.
Make other purchases using our affiliate links. Capital One 360 is one everyone can take advantage of to save money! Signing up with Dosh is a great way for everyone with a smartphone to support us, and we also have options for aspiring virtual assistants as well as occasional and full-time RVers to save money.
Listen to, subscribe and review our theater comedy podcast, Finishing The Season!
Subscribe to our blog, as well as perhaps InSearchOfAScoop.com, and recommend our work to your friends and family.
Take music or theater lessons (group or private) from us, either in person or via Skype at TinyVillageMusic.com.
What a wild time to be alive, friends! I hope you’re prioritizing your own health and well-being. There’s so much stress and vitriol in the world, and if we let it consume us, it really will.
I read this quote this week and it really resonated with me. It can be really helpful to stop and articulate, with words (out loud or in writing, or even with imagery) how we’re feeling and what we’re fearing. Putting a name to it can make it easier to face.
Here are some of the things I’m fearing right now:
I won’t build my business to the level I dream about
I won’t be able to visit family and friends for a long time
I won’t be able to attend my friend’s wedding
I won’t be able to safely share my views & background and be my authentic self under our next administration
I’m not doing enough to help the causes I care about
My BIPOC and LGBTQIAA+ friends and those with disabilities (basically anyone that isn’t a white male, TBH) won’t be safe in the near future
Putting it down makes it clear that that’s a lot to navigate! No wonder I feel stressed sometimes, despite my healthy habits.
Here are some of the things I’m pursuing to clear my fears:
Daily work on my business & accountability checks with my mastermind & mentors
Weekly calls and video calls with friends and family, plus emails and text check-ins
Daily and weekly work to encourage voting, educate those around me and assist anyone with questions
Supporting the causes I care about, financially and with my time and energy
It’s so, so important to not only articulate what’s on our minds, but, when we’re in the right headspace, make a plan with concrete steps to feel better. If we’re feeling scared of the unknown, what’s one thing that’s within our control that we can make progress on? If we’re frightened that x might happen, what’s one step we can take that will listen the blow if it comes true?
For instance, if we’re afraid that a wildfire could burn our house down, we should pack an emergency bag & create a plan.
If we’re afraid of the outcome of an election, we should vote and encourage our friends to do the same, and lend our support to the causes and people we care about if we’re able to do so.
We can’t eliminate the possibility of the things we fear, in many cases, but we can eliminate the fear by tackling it head on with the pursuit of new things, as Susie Moore says. Taking concrete steps feels good, mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Can you relate to any of these? What is one thing you can do today to face your fear?
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I’ve been dealing with some challenging situations in my work lately. One of my clients has been particularly disorganized, and for the first time in a long time I’m finding it hard not to carry their own stress into my life.
It’s not the scenario I hoped for when I took on this client, but it’s a scenario that many aspiring adventurers know well.
Do you find yourself carrying the stress of your 9 to 5 into your nights and weekends?
Do you find it tough to turn off the worry when you turn off the laptop?
Is it hard for you to devote time to working on your goals and dreams because you’re too stressed about the here and now?
I can certainly relate, and my best piece of advice is this: use your frustration as fuel for the future.
When you catch yourself dwelling on anger or frustration, reframe the situation by saying (out loud, in a journal or in your head) “I’m so thankful for work that allows me to pay my bills. I’m so thankful for work that allows me to save for my future goals. This situation is helping me to build my future dream life.”
Remember that this frustration is fueling your future in multiple ways:
Financially – this money supports you while you dream and scheme and plan, and it may let you save enough for funding future too.
Emotionally – this experience is giving you visceral lessons that will stick with you moving forward. You’ll remember this feeling and when you lose momentum or focus on the work of dream life creation, remembering how much you don’t want to experience this again will get you that fire under your butt that’s needed for change.
Rewriting our stories is truly important for growth. It’s essential that I keep rewriting my frustration so that instead of a thing that’s happening to me, I put myself in a position of power.
I choose to do this job to support my future life.
I do this work to feed my family.
I’m learning lessons that will help me in the future.
Choose a story of empowerment. Choose to use your frustration as future fuel.
Have you been in this situation?
How did you handle it?
How are you rewriting your story today?
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Make purchases via our Amazon website links. There is no additional cost to you, and a portion of the proceeds can support our travels. Begin your Amazon search here.
Make other purchases using our affiliate links. Capital One 360 is one everyone can take advantage of to save money! Signing up with Dosh is a great way for everyone with a smartphone to support us, and we also have options for aspiring virtual assistants as well as occasional and full-time RVers to save money.
Listen to, subscribe and review our theater comedy podcast, Finishing The Season!
Subscribe to our blog, as well as perhaps InSearchOfAScoop.com, and recommend our work to your friends and family.
Take music or theater lessons (group or private) from us, either in person or via Skype at TinyVillageMusic.com
Crafting The Life You Want: A Practice in Living 