Believing on Purpose

What is the recipe for results?

When you look at your personal or professional life and you see what is working and what is not working, what do you attribute it to?

Luck?

Training and Credentials?

A Supportive Team?

$ in the Bank?

Healthy Mind and Body?

Organized Desk?

Clear Vision & Strategies?

Spiritual Practice?

Strong Leadership?

What if all of those things were good ingredients- but the crucial ingredient...

the one that makes or breaks the recipe...

is believing on purpose.

"Self-belief does not necessarily ensure success, but self-disbelief assuredly spawns failure." 

-Albert Bandera- Self-efficacy: The Exercise of Control, 1997

You have a choice in each moment to decide what you believe.  

You can believe your business or strategy will work...

You can believe you can take the leap...

You can believe in your abilities and your resilience....

You can believe in your ability to set boundaries...

You can...

When to Retreat

by, Jen Visitacion

My husband Joshua and I took a couple of days away together to get some rest and to soak in some hot water.

As we planned our weekend, we put some intention into how we would spend our time both individually and  together.  Our bodies were feeling the end of the farming season, especially with an influx of downed trees to manage, so we knew that taking care of our bodies was the highest priority.  We also knew we needed some time to connect on priorities moving forward this fall.  

As we began to release the tension from the season and to reconnect to nature, ourselves, and each other...our life together came into to focus and a revived vision emerged.

This is not the first time this has happened.  In fact, in any major transition we have created space to "get away" and put intention to our self care and connection.  This is beyond a vacation- its more about purposeful retreat.  

The...

The definition of compatible is "able to exist  or occur together without conflict."

When I read this definition I had to laugh.  In my little family of three humans, two dogs, three horses, 18 chickens and 1 rooster....there is rarely a day when we all feel "compatible" or without conflict.  

For example, yesterday I began letting the chickens out in the garden to free range again, now that our garden season is mostly over.  I brought over some water and the rooster cornered me in their pen. 

I was woefully unprepared to defend myself as he prepared to come at me (usually I bring in a garden tool to keep him at a distance- hence the photo represented).  

In this moment our priorities were clearly in conflict and we were not compatible.  I wanted to give everyone some more space and freedom (and water) and he felt that the flock was threatened (by me).  Neither of us was wrong....but...

I have always been one to have a lot of projects happening simultaneously.

Its how I roll.

Sometimes its overwhelming and then sometimes it feels like pure pleasure to have so many things I care about to work on.

my business

the farm

family

clients

cleaning the house

mucking the horse stalls

writing

stretching

hiking

preserving food

harvesting

volunteering on our local school board

personal growth 

rest

At any given time....each one of these things can take over all priorities. 

That's ok...because sometimes that's necessary.

And somedays....I putter around between these loves of my life - giving each project a quick high five.

projects incomplete...but life in focus.

How about you?  

Where are you focused these days?

Cheers,

Jen 

If we were going to plan a road trip or a vacation together, we would probably start with one of two guiding questions:

1. Where do we want to go?

2. What do we want to do?

I'm not saying those are easy answers- but they are crucial questions to ask if we are going to get on the same page about our experience together.

Once we've nailed those questions down, then we can begin planning our route.  

If we encounter roadblocks, then we can re-calculate.

Without our shared vision...both of those next steps would be pretty challenging and probably lead us to either give up or have some serious conflict along the way.

Any shared vision has to begin with shared ownership and buy-in individually.  Which means that each person needs to clarify for themselves:

1. What matters most to me?

2. What am I willing to let go of?

3.  How do I want to show up in partnership and communication?

This year, 2020,...

I actually wrote this piece about a year ago...but I thought is was just as relevant this week.

---

The past several weeks we have been prepping the soil in our garden to plant seeds.

This means digging up the weeds that have taken root already, and clearing out the clutter of the debris that accumulated last summer, fall and over the winter.

It means creating intentional space for the things we WANT to grow. 

If we don't create this intentional space and fill it with things we want... then it will be overrun by things we don't want.

I can't help but think this is the perfect metaphor for time and priorities in general.

If we don’t create intentional space and time for the things we want to grow in our lives... then our days will be filled “managing the weeds” rather than harvesting the bounty.

Do you ever find yourself reacting to demands of the day as it unfolds, rather than creating the intentional space for what feels most important?

Try this:

Instead of...

I keep hearing different phrases, metaphors, and analogies about our current situation- that we are, in fact, sharing with our global community.

"We are all in the same boat"

"Nope, not the same boat, but the same storm"

I'm not sure if its a boat or a storm...but what feels true is that there are many people in positions of leadership around the world and in our neighborhoods who are trying to find the pathway to lead through chaos.

Some are creating more chaos as their strategies emerge and some are creating more of a shared vision of stability.

For some businesses and organizations, their strategy to stabilize may include having to lay people off....which creates a different kind of chaos in our communities.

For some people, stabilizing now means going deeper into debt or asking for help in order to keep people employed or their family fed.

For others, it means tapping into savings and reserves.

There is not a right or wrong way to handle these situations....and there...

At the beginning of 2020, I had big plans to pivot my business to focusing on in-person events/ retreats for women entrepreneurs and leaders.  This included plans for international retreats 2-3 times a year as well as hosting retreats at our Farm Retreat in Salida, CO.

Obviously, a re-direct needed to happen...
and I'm grateful.

I'm grateful because 10 years ago, I landed on this farm with a vision of growing food, hosting celebrations, creating community, and facilitating leadership retreats & workshops.   

At some level, all of those things have happened...maybe not the way I initially envisioned, but they have happened.

Now, with a full six weeks of a consistent daily routine- feeding chickens, planting and watering starts, caring for horses and observing seasonal changes, I believe I've come full circle to a stronger vision...

A vision that includes a focus both personally and professionally on:

• making time to be quiet, creative, open
• connecting...