Last weekend, I celebrated the 3rd birthday of my business!
If you've been around from the beginning (or maybe not even that long), you know that Kind Living isn't exactly the same as it was at its inception.
My business, and I along with it, have experienced a lot of shifting, changing, growing, failing, learning.
So, to honor this anniversary, I wanted to just share a few things I've learned along the way (many of which I will be a forever student).
1. You are not for everyone, and everyone is not for you.
My fellow people-pleasers, I know how hard this is to embody. It's a forever work-in-progress, and that's ok.
2. No one actually knows what they're doing. (Not fully, anyway.)
No matter what it might seem like from the outside (and our social media world has made this even harder to believe), we're all just people, doing the best we can, making some guesses along the way. No one has everything figured out, 100% of the time.
3. The small things are worth celebrating.
When I started out (and still sometimes now), it was really hard to feel like I was "doing it," because I wasn't hitting the mile markers I'd hoped to. And even after 3 years, I don't have the biggest following, email list, or notoriety.
But the reality is, who cares? I have work that I love, clients who inspire me and motivate me, and you (client or not!) who I genuinely enjoy communicating with.
Be willing to challenge what "success" means to you...because our definitions of it tend to be way too narrow.
4. Allow yourself to change, even if it feels like others will think you're being flaky or indecisive.
I changed the core of my business a few times. I've created programs and discontinued them. It felt really awkward at first, but once I got into the rhythm of simply listening to what felt best, I began to feel in my body the beauty of welcoming the twists and turns.
(P.S. One of capitalism's many lies is that you have to do one thing and stick with it forever in order to be "productive" or "successful." I lovingly call a big ol' bull shit on that. Following your intuition is one of the many antitheses to capitalist exploitation.)
5. It's ok to take breaks.
Speaking of capitalism...you don't have to be "on" 100% of the time. You don't need to be available 24/7 just because you *technically* can be.
Rest is a valid need without having to explain it. You can still be present with your community without sacrificing your own needs.
6. Lean into your own energetic needs.
We all have different paces and processes. Yours does not need to look like anyone else's. Slowness is underrated. Inconsistency has its benefits. Nature has cycles and seasons, and so do you.
7. We are not meant to do this alone.
You're not supposed to know how to do it all, all by yourself. Healing happens in community. Growth happens together. A lot of really important inner work happens on our own, but that doesn't mean that we don't need each other, too.
It's Kind Living's birthday!