About 2 months ago my husband and I started talking about completely changing our lives; three weeks later we made the decision to go for it and have been minimizing our belongings since then. Now we're about five weeks away from leaving behind the place we've called home since coming to Canada 12 years ago, and move on to the next chapter of our lives.
Of course, this didn't just happen out of nowhere; in fact, it was a long time coming. It also wasn't as simple as it sounds. It took several years and a few life-changing events to sync our goals and focus on what is most important to us. Our plans were certainly different from what we landed on. We both ran successful businesses and were constantly working to build and scale, both our revenue and our dependence on said revenue.
I admit that I got tired of it first. Mostly the dependence on revenue. Why was I working so much just to buy things when the only really valuable thing in life was time? Time spent building relationships with people I love, time to enjoy nature, time to do absolutely nothing. Time. I became a little obsessed with it and quite obnoxious with my lectures about leaving all worldly possessions behind and becoming digital nomads.
A big life-changing shift seemed completely out of reach. Too many commitments. Too much hassle. Too convenient the way it was. So I gave up and mentally prepared myself to ride out the next ten years, building my business and watching the cycle start again year after year. It's funny how nature really does not care about commitments, hassle, and convenience. At the end of 2018 nature took over in the form of my husband needing emergency back surgery and over the course of 18 months we adjusted our lives bit by bit until it was not recognizable anymore.
Two months ago, when we looked back at everything that happened in the 18 previous months, it did not seem so far-fetched anymore to make a bold move. Because if there is one thing we have learned, it's that there is always a way to adapt and move forward.
So here we are, ready to enjoy whatever is coming. That's right, enjoy, not embrace. I've been thinking a lot about what living simple and being well mean to me. Living simple is easier to define. In our case it means going from a 4-bedroom house and city life to one room and a shared kitchen and living space with thousands of acres of wilderness around us. 50 km from the closest village and 174 km from the closest Starbucks. {I know, right?!?} It means getting rid of most of our belongings and only keeping what we need and use ~ and it's eye-opening how little that actually is.
Not focusing on what to buy next and not having to spend a considerable amount of my time working to pay for stuff I don't need is at the core of a simple life for me. Maybe it's because my strongest core value is freedom; I just don't want to be tied down by stuff. And right there is the connection to being well ~ not being tied down by stuff and having the opportunity to work close to nature sets the stage for being able to take a good look inside. That's where being well starts for me ~ with my mindset.
I'm excited about giving myself a mindset check. It's not all bad in there, but some upgrades are certainly needed. Over the last few years I've increasingly felt a disconnect between the way I want to show up in the world and the way I actually show up.
Being well starts with showing up in tune with my values and includes contributing in a meaningful way. It's not about being happy all the time, it's about enjoying and appreciating every day and dealing with whatever comes, in a way that does not compromise my integrity. I know this is pretty high-level stuff right now, but that's all I got at this point. And you know it ~ you'll read about it right here along the way.
Onward.