Ready to IRL and LOL more in 2019?

As the resident Passion Igniter it’s my job to teach LifeTools to help people get EXCITED and PASSIONATE about who they are and what they do. This is fun for me as I myself get all kinds of excited and passionate about…many many things (just ask my hubby). Perhaps because of the motivational, personal development feminine world I live in, I seem to swim in a gigantic pool of never ending meme’s and inspirational quotes. My own personal personal and biz mantra is YES YOU CAN! Some days I am fully connected to that message while others I simply turn my frame around. It’s a mood thing J

As an avid “swimmer” of all things inspiring and motivational it’s not common for me to come across a new-to-me abbreviation that makes me stop…think…and feel all forms of YES in my core. But it did happen. Just the other day. While mindlessly scrolling through Instagram.

IRL

IN. REAL. LIFE.

It was mentioned in an off comment from someone responding to another person’s post. Something about getting out and enjoying IRL. In. Real. Life. The abbreviation instantly resonated with so many things I have been thinking about over the last few months. In. Real. Life. REAL LIFE. Like in the here and now. Ahhhh this is my theme for 2019.

Many of my coaching and business clients spend a great deal of time “working” the online world. Growing their tribes, investing in their digital communities, providing value for cyber connections. I get it. I do the same. At this very moment I am writing content for people I don’t know in hopes of offering nuggets of inspiration and positive life strategies. And while YOU are very real (thank you for reading this!) there is no real life connections between you and I. I am sitting in my office by myself writing this while you are probably scrolling on your phone or computer casually reading these words.

[Side note. It is no accident you are reading this right now.]

While there is great value in all the wisdom shared online there is also something missing from digital connections. It’s the chemistry of real life energy being shared between two people. The contagious uplifting sense of connection that can only happen live and in the moment. That is the power of investing time IRL. Real life connections need to be nurtured. For many of us being busy and online has eroded our focus and investment in being with others….in real life.

Could you imagine this post being read by someone in 1980? They would be most likely thinking, “What in the world is this woman saying? What could possible get people to stop talking with and hanging out with each other?”. Oh I’ll tell you 1980’s person with big bangs and acid wash jeans. We blame it all on the Internet. Online worlds that capture our minds and satisfy our immediate needs but starve our spirits of human connection and relationships. Don’t worry it won’t be happening to you for a few years yet.

I digress. This post is NOT a rant on how technology has taken us away from each other. There are many ways that it has helped and hindered us. No this article is about IRL. And how learning a simple catchy abbreviation has shifted and set my focus for 2019.

I’m not abandoning my online world of amazing inspiring memes and cool kitty cat videos. I am simply focusing more on IRL. In real. Life. More in-person networking opportunities (even though it can be so hard to get out when it’s dark in the winter!). I am setting measureable goals of attending 2 networking meetings and 1 social event every singe month.

HOW WILL YOU ADD MORE IRL INTO YOUR NEXT YEAR?

Not only am I going to focus on IRL I am going to add more LOL. That’s Laugh Out Loud (I know…you know that one!). Seriously. It’s time for me to get less serious. As a determined diva of doing it all I sometimes forget to have fun. To let go of expectations that weigh me down by holding me back from new adventures.

I NEED MORE ADVENTURE. DO YOU?

Today my kids all ran out to play in the snow. In the spirit of IRL and LOL I found my long lost snow gear and actually went outside with them. Their shocked faces as they said, “Mom you are coming out too?” was evidence that I need to do this more!

More adventures. More fun. More LOL. More IRL.

Because if I don’t do it for myself no one will do it for me. So join me in creating adventures that feed your spirit and invigorate your life experience.

WHAT IS ON YOUR LIST OF TO-DO’s THAT WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE MORE FUN?

I challenge you to make your New Year Resolutions more about New Year Adventures.  YES. YOU. CAN.

I would love to hear how you are adding intentional fun memories into your life over the next year? Please share below!

Sometimes when I see the miles wide islands of garbage and waste in the ocean on TV I feel small. I feel small when I watch documentaries on countries torn apart by war. The image of a doll amongst the rubble breaks my heart and makes me feel powerless at the exact same time. When I hear about my friends Dad who has stage 4 cancer…I feel small. I have learned that my internal response to bad things in this world is to….yap you guessed it…feel small.

One of the biggest gifts of working with Mango + Moose is that I have learned this simple truth: I can make big impact with small changes.

I CAN. Little ‘ol me. You can too. It’s not about travelling to another country and helping to build a school (that is pretty cool though….I mean WOW!). I can’t do that with 4 kids and a biz to run. It’s not about NEVER buying clothes from big discount superstores ever again. That’s tough too when I need to stay in budget.

I can make BIG IMPACT by making small tweaks in my purchasing power choices and daily habits. It’s actually an exhilarating and motivating new way of approaching life in general.

And here is what I am finding most liberating about my own personal mindset shifts when it comes to making a difference. This little statement has helped me jump off the diving board into the socially conscious lifestyle. Ready?

IT’S NOT AN ALL OR NOTHING THING.

I have consciously chosen to use more reusable containers in my kids lunches BUT….I still get my steeped tea in a disposable cup every morning. I can’t quite explain it but my tea tastes better that way.

I have consciously chosen to buy more clothing for my family from the thrift store to help reduce and reuse. I am learning all about the fashion industries negative impact on the environment! BUT….I still buy new clothes from my favourite stores (especially for me).

I have consciously chosen to buy less toxic and more all-natural cleaning products for my home. But….when the stomach flu hits I am the first to pull out the Javex Bleach and any disinfectant I can find in my cupboards.

I can make positive global impact for the environment by tweaking daily choices even if I am not “perfect” or “totally committed” all the time.

What small tweaks to your regular buying and living habits can you make to support helping the environment locally and globally?

How about your purchasing power? Ready to create positive change just by tweaking WHERE you buy your gifts and household items?

If you love to shop the Socially Conscious Shopaholic Challenge might just be for you!

Note: The Socially Conscious Shopaholic Challenge is something I just made up. But it makes me feel better about shopping all the time. I hope it serves you well too J

The more I shop the more I become aware of the amazing companies who are combining the sale of goods with IMPACT. From the environment to supporting artisans to providing resources for marginalized groups there are so many options to use purchasing power for good.

Remember, you can make BIG IMPACT by making small tweaks in your purchasing power choices and daily habits.

Here is just one powerful example from our own Socially Conscious Lifestyle Brand Mango + Moose:

MEET TARA // Tara is one of our partners in India and is one of the many lives impacted by the sustainable practice of making handmade goods. SHE CAN have a smile on her face because the working conditions are excellent, because she is paid a fair wage and because with that she knows she is cared for. SHE CAN support her family and know she respected. SHE CAN go to work everyday confident she is SAFE.

Just by choosing to purchase from Mango + Moose you are directly impacting Artisans like Tara. I don’t know about you but that makes the whole shopping experience so much more rewarding. Truly it is a WIN. WIN experience for everyone involved.

So on the days that I feel small and powerless I remind myself that to create more light and love in this world I need to be light and love myself. From arranging meetings to involve less driving around to spending time with my family to buying from companies that turn purchasing power into positive impact….every choice makes a difference.

Little tweaks make BIG IMPACT. What will your impact be?

Cheers to your own socially conscious adventures!

What kind of world our we leaving our children AND what kind of children are we leaving the world?”

It is common to hear that people don’t let their minds go to “that Place”, by this they mean the place of horror that others are currently enduring. A place where others are exploited, used and sacrificed for the sake of greed and depravity.  They know it is a reality and they know it is awful but they truly can’t or won’t let their minds linger in this place or even venture toward it. I can understand this. 

Several years ago my prayer was “God burden my heart with the things that burden your heart.” After many months of God answering this prayer and giving me a glimpse my tearful prayer was “Stop God, please make it stop. I can’t take it.” 

I was living in a beautiful home with an amazing view of our city lights and each night as I lay in bed I could see what should have been a lovely expanse of light below. But instead I couldn’t forget the images of Bombay and how similar the city lights also looked from above. And then as the lens zoomed in on what lay below, the grit of the street below the glowing lights, the Red light district in all its horror of human suffering would silently scream at me. Millions of miles away, safe in bed in Kelowna BC, I couldn’t stop the torrid of images every time I lay to sleep.  I had to ask God to stop it for me; I had to ask Him to help me be a part of stopping this horror for those women, children and yes men living in such a reality.

Now, many years later I still go there. I still go there in my mind. I still imagine that it is my children. I still imagine that it could have been me, and that is how I fight. The reality of this dark world still haunts me, and I am thankful for this as it keeps me motivated. But I am also thankful God did give me reprieve. He doesn’t allow me to see all, to know all. He shelters me from being Him and invites me to be obedient to Him and to do my part. 

So when I think about our world and I think about what kind of children I want to leave this world, I think of a servants heart, of loving others even when it hurts, even when we have to sacrifice and risk it all, go blind and move forward – even when it is dangerous to do so. I think of raising men and women to be moral, to be leaders, to have faith and to be solid in their foundation. 

“I suppose I’ve never been afraid of dying but how tragic it would be to live a long healthy life of security and never lay down all that I am for the one who saved me to begin with.”

I am not the final answer, none of us are. This is not the end of the story and for that I am grateful. But for me, I continue to breathe in and out each and every day, I get out of bed, I put one foot in front of the other and I persist. I persist in the pursuit of equality, of loving others as myself, as I would my own children and my own family. I whisper to the broken- hearted with each step I take “I see you, You are not alone, You are not forgotten.” Together may we rise to meet this call.

I am writing this as I sit in my comfy’s after dropping my older three kids off to their respective schools while my 14 month old naps. I am a work from home Mom and Professional. Which is awesome. And hard. And many things in between. As a Mentor and Coach for entrepreneurs I know that this lifestyle is not for everyone…BUT…if you have kids, need flexibility and desire to grow a business that brings in extra income for the family, this model of working can be a powerful and practical platform from which to do all of that.

Over the last 13 years I have been working from home I have learned some BIG lessons! Here’s my top two tips for anyone currently (or looking into) working from home.

GET OUT OF THE HOUSE

Yap. Working from home means spending a lot of time locked away in a small space called your office or maybe even at the dining room table with your laptop and many papers being messed with by the toddler. Your home may be where you invest the majority of your work time growing your business but equally important is the time you spend CULTIVATING RELATIONSHIPS outside of your home walls. This was the biggest oversight I made in my first five years. I didn’t get out enough which eventually led to feelings of isolation, loneliness and burnout (not good!).  Even if you are have an online business it’s important to get dressed and go out. Join a Community Board, attend Networking Groups, create a Goal Club…consistently do something to nurture new relationships. Connections equal opportunity. Plus it feels good to get out and wear real clothes (speaking from experience).

BE FLEXIBLE AND FOCUSED

One of the pros to working from home is that you can create a schedule that meets many peoples needs. I can drop my kids off at school and book coaching sessions for the hours of the day that works best for me (until a kid calls home sick). With this pro is the biggest con as well…you begin to be so flexible you lose focus. There is a delicate balance between adjusting your schedule to consider other family members needs with YOUR OWN NEEDS to develop and maintain a schedule that includes blocked off times that are for work. This takes self-discipline and of course communicating with those around you that work time is important too. There is an adjustment stage–especially if you have been very easy to give up work time in the past.

I hope these two tips for working from home help you to get the most out of your business building experience! Try to enjoy the journey and celebrate your successes. YES. YOU. CAN.

If you are looking into work from home opportunities consider Mango + Moose. We are a socially conscious lifestyle brand with a mission to create positive Global Impact for Artisans around the world. Join as a Global Advocate and you too can be a Social Entrepreneur growing a business from home.