Quitting My Day Job
Hello again
It’s been a long time since I’ve written an update on the Happy Homestead Farm and I would say we’re well past due. The busyness of the homestead along with my own 9-to-5 job has meant that writing blog posts just wasn't a top priority. That, however, is about to change so you can expect to hear a lot more from me in the future.
Taking the Leap
Last month, I took the biggest leap of my life (to date) and left my day job to work on the homestead full-time. From this point forward, I’m devoting my time and energy to our gardens, animals, bees, Salves & Such products, and my energy healing practice. Working full-time on the homestead has been my dream since we moved here in 2016, however, until now, I wasn’t ready to cross the chasm that stood between my dream and my reality.
It isn’t the kind of move someone makes lightly, of course. It’s never easy to leave something that feels safe and secure for the unknown. My day job working for “the man” (well, technically, it was a couple) was comfortable. I knew what I was doing, and I was good at it. Choosing to leave to work on my own projects, however, was full of uncertainties. Would I be successful? Could I maintain my portion of our income? Would I be able to sustain it long-term? Those questions, which were heavy enough on their own, led to the questions that always lie a bit deeper. What if I’m not good enough? What if I fail? What if...? Self-doubt and fear were attempting to settle in and make themselves at home, however, I was not going to allow them to take up residence.
I knew in my heart that this was the next right move for my life. I could feel it in my soul and every cell in my body “knew”. It was time. I had been working myself up to this point in a way that pushed me forward despite the uncertainties. Although, I wasn’t using traditional methods to get there. I hadn’t been writing business plans or creating graphs and charts showing the possible trajectories of my future endeavors. No, those weren’t the things that birthed the momentum I needed to take this step. What moved me was a belief in myself and faith in the perfection of the universe. I knew that all I had to do was summon the courage to take the first step and from there, I could allow that momentum to propel me forward, step after step.
Getting there
Little did I know in 2015 when I began a daily practice of affirmations and mantras that they would become the catalysts for the transformations I’ve experienced in my life over the past six years. I hoped they would create a shift in my reality but I didn’t really expect them to completely change the way I think, to allow me to overcome blocks and limiting beliefs, and to gain a confidence in the rules of universal energy so strong that it propelled me to take that leap across the chasm. I didn’t realize at the time that those daily affirmations were working with me to handcraft this life that I desired for myself. Today, I can see it.
Seeing the Signs
Driving to the office on that final morning, a bald eagle swooped out of the forest in front of my car. He was so close that I felt the need to hit my brakes to avoid him. He turned in front of me and proceeded to fly above the road ahead of my car, as though escorting me on my last morning commute. I recognized it as a sign from the universe, confirming both that I was on the right path and that it was time to take this leap.
Driving home at the end of that last day, the realization that I had actually just quit my job began to set in. Those thought patterns that keep us in one place for way too long wanted to take space in my head. As I pulled in the driveway, I started to have a thought about the uncertainty of the path ahead. Just then, Bob Marley popped on to my radio dial and began to sing "Three Little Birds". At that moment, I was reminded of what I already knew...there's no need to worry about a thing, because every little thing's gonna be alright.
Today, I’m moving forward in complete trust, a certain level of amazement, and plenty of excitement about what is yet to come. I recognize that I will face challenges and certainly do not know what lies ahead. However, I do know that the universe will have my back and because of that, I can take the next step, and the next, and the one that comes after that knowing that “everything is always working out for me” (my favorite affirmation).