Why You Don't Have to Do Life The Way They Say You Should
Recently I read a book called Professional Troublemaker by Luvvie Ajayi Jones. Every single page of which made me smile big and do fist pumps when no one else in my house was looking.
I loved it. Mostly because it reminded me that I don’t have to do life the way everyone else does life - that really, it’s better if I don’t.
It reminded me how important it is to let you know you can do life your own way, too.
It's important because the world needs you - the real you - and everything you have to offer.
It's important because life, family, work, travel, marriage - all of it - can be done in all sorts of ways - especially the one that makes you feel most alive.
Lots of people ask me how I could be brave enough to travel full-time with my kids for 7 years, to step out of “regular” life and homeschool way back in 2009, or to run my own business when things are so up-in-the-air in the world financially.
To these questions, I always smile and say that anyone could do it. The truth is, you can do it, but you need to know it’s hard.
It’s not easy living an out-of-the-box life of any kind.
But this book reminds me why it’s important for those of us who feel the pull to do it anyway.
Cookie-cutter is only pretty in gingerbread.
I don't think we talk about that enough.
Recently, I sat down with Bettina Gordon-Wayne to talk about just that. (A friend introduced me to her a couple of years ago, and now she has a brand-new mega-inspiring YouTube channel called "It's Never Too Late" - one I've been devouring since she made it live a few weeks ago - and one I've been so excited about sharing with you.)
Because whatever that thing is you've been dreaming of trying, it's not too late.
(Nope, not even for you.)
I love to hike, travel, write, read good books, work from home, homeschool my kiddos, and get out on the ocean any way I can. I don't love cooking, talking on the phone for hours and hours, staring at a television screen, or sitting in lengthy Zoom meetings. And I'm always trying to do more of what I love and less of what I don't.
What about you?
What makes your heart sing and just won’t leave you alone? (even though it doesn’t fit in everyone else’s box)
Do it. Don’t let anything stop you - your family needs to see that part of you.
That’s exactly why I started Togetherness Redefined back in 2019.
Because I wanted to let you know that if you have a big, unrealistic dream that just won’t leave you alone, you should go for it. And I wanted to give you what you need to be able to do that.
(Like busting common myths about full-time family travel and letting you know you really CAN homeschool those kids of yours quite easily if you want to )
And since Togetherness Redefined just reached the 2-year mark, remembering why I started it feels important.
(Read on if you'd like a tiny peek behind the curtain.)
First of all, I hate curtains.
No offense if you love them or make them (please email me if you do because I actually need to buy a few right now), but curtains just aren't my jam.
I think I hate them because of how easy they are to hide behind - and how I don't like it when people hide behind things and pop out as someone I didn't know they were.
So, you won't actually find any curtains to peek behind with me (and no Oz hiding behind them), but here’s the behind-the-scenes skinny.
There is no team here yet - after two years of running this platform, it's still just me, Celeste, writing my heart out, hopping into every top-notch business and writing course I can afford, and cranking out anything I think will remotely encourage another mom, parent, or family-loving person.
And I'm loving every minute.
This right here - sharing life with people who love their families and speaking life into your dreams - is the work I want to do for the rest of my days.
But as you probably can guess, I'm not earning an income from this work just yet. Instead, I'm busting my buns for nonprofits as a computer nerd (aka database manager) and my hubby is busting his buns to get our other business running (more on that later) before his summer work begins.
So, you've probably already realized this, but on this platform (and in the email group), there are seasons where I crank out a lot of stuff for you in a row (like the past few months when my database work was slower) and then seasons where I trickle out a few gems and dig out a few things from the past I think might inspire and encourage you (like the next several months where my database work is super heavy, which yes, I'm BEYOND grateful for).
It’s not fancy, but it’s what I know I was meant to do - even if people keep telling me I’m not doing life the way they expected I would - or the way they would do it.
I wonder what might be like that for you. I wonder if your big dreams feel just a little bit too different sometimes, too.
If so, I’d love to hear from you.
I never want Togetherness Redefined to become only about me and my family's stories - I want to share ideas for more adventure, bigger dreams, and deeper relationships you have, too. So, I'd really love to hear your family togetherness stories, too.
If you have a story about something that has helped your family go after more adventure, bigger dreams, or deeper relationships and you'd like to share with the Togetherness Redefined corner of the world, hop into the email group, hit reply, and share with me today.
It can be a short couple of sentences or a long, detailed story. A quick idea you tried and loved or an epic tale about your favorite camping trip or something you tried that turned into kind of a disaster but one of your family's favorite memories. Really, it can be anything.
Whatever it is that gets you in your family groove, I want to hear about it.
Then, I'll take your stories, store them in my togetherness tip notebook, and start sharing them with the rest of the group on Friday mornings (with a shout-out to your family). Your idea, your words along with mine, and your encouragement and inspiration for other families right beside mine - I think they call that teamwork. I can't wait to be inspired by you.
So hop into the email group, hit reply right now, and rattle it off.
And a million thank you hugs to you for being here - and staying here - and sharing this family togetherness ride with me.
Here’s to WAY more than two years more!
And if you’re interested in that book I mentioned, here’s a little more about it. (It really is SO good!) ⤵
“Our difference is often our superpower”
“It felt right, even as it was still petrifying.”
“I simply ask that you stop apologizing for your existence and for the things attached to your body. Even if you feel like you should, I am here to tell you that you should not. And if you don’t want to do it for you, do it for the young child in your life who is seeing you apologize for your vitality. Stop saying sorry for yourself, so that the young person can know they are also not supposed to apologize for who they are. That their existence does not warrant apology but warrants celebration. That the world is better off for them being here.”