January 2011

Living the Dream with Tammy Strobel

January 31, 2011

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing people about living simply, breaking through barriers, and living their Dream Life . Every Monday, you’ll find a new interview posted. If you missed it, last week I interviewed Melissa Gorzelanczyk of Peace and Projects.

This week I am thrilled to bring you the Rowdy Kitten herself, Tammy Strobel the creator of the always inspirational Rowdy Kittens. Tammy’s authenticity and great writing drew me into the blog world in the first place, introduced me to countless bloggers and inspired me to start this blog. She is also the author of two e-books – Smalltopia and Simply Car-free – quit her job to pursue her passions and is on her way to tiny house living. Trust me, this is going to be good and by the end you’ll like Tammy as much as I do. So, here we go…

This interview series is about people who live their dream life – which looks different for everyone and is always evolving – can you describe your current Dream Life?

Writing, volunteering, spending time with friends, yoga, biking, and walking are all activities that I do everyday. I’m living my dream and it’s incredible. I still deal with challenges and fears, but for the most part I’m extremely happy!

You went car-free in in 2008 (and wrote an e-book!). What is the biggest benefit of life without a car?

Yes we did! I can’t believe it’s been so long. I wrote Simply Car-free in 2010 and I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback from readers.

There are so many benefits of living with out a car. I won’t list them all, but will give you my top two: saving money and improving your health.

Money. According to American Automobile Association the average American spends $9,519 per year to own a vehicle, or over $800 per month! Instead of spending so much money on a depreciating asset, why not use the extra cash to make your dreams a reality or pay off debt.

Health. Living without a car will improve your health and well-being. Since we’ve been car-free I’ve noticed a huge shift in my attitude. And I think that shift has a whole lot to do with my health. I’ve lost about 20 pounds since we sold the car and I’m happier. Riding my bike everywhere fills me with joy. I love feeling the air on my face and noticing all the details in my neighborhood. When I drove everywhere I was in such a rush. Now that I’ve slowed down, the quality of my life has improved.

What has been the biggest barrier you’ve overcome in order to live your Dream Life? And how did you do it?

The biggest barrier? Moving past self-doubt and taking risks.

Even though I’m living my idea life, I still have struggles and fears that I deal with everyday. For example, right now I’m dealing with the fear of public speaking.

The best way I deal with fear, is to talk about it. I meet-up frequently with fellow writers to talk about my fears. I call theses folks my inspiration council. They are a group of people who believe in my abilities and constantly encourage me to try new things.

I love that idea of an inspiration council! Having people who will give you honest advice and push you to try new things is infinitely important.

About one year ago you left your job to pursue your passions, what have been some of the unexpected benefits and drawbacks that resulted from these changes?

Well, I’ve been shocked that I’ve actually been able to pay my bills! I didn’t know if my little business would succeed or not. And so far I’ve been successful. To say that is extremely gratifying.

With that being said, writing can be a struggle for me. I still have a lot to learn about the craft and I’m working on improving my skills sets everyday.

Can you share some knowledge gain recommendations (blogs, books, documentaries, etc.)?

I’m a huge book nerd. Last year I read a book a week, but this year I’m reading two books a month. A majority of the books I read are non-fiction. You can check out my lists here:

2010 Book List
2011 Book List

There is a common theme that I’ve run across in a lot of my books. And that theme has to do with legacy building.

So think about what your legacy is or could be. What are you going to leave behind? And how can you change the world through your actions?

For me, writing doesn’t do anything by itself. Writing must be paired with activism. And I think that goes for any kind of job.

Yay, I’m always excited to find a fellow bookworm! I’ve found that I get obsessed with a certain topic and then read everything on it, so right now I’m devouring everything I can find on education and learning:).

What’s the next big thing you’re pumped about?

I have two big goals this year.

First, I’m finishing up a book proposal for the print world and then I’m going to write the book. It’s going to focus on my downsizing story and happiness.

Second, we’re going to build a tiny house. Yesterday we had a conversion with the builder, Katy Anderson, and I’m meeting up with one of my good friends, Dee Williams, to talk about the design this weekend.

Finally, we’ll be taking a lot of bike camping trips this summer. 2011 is going to be a kick-ass year.

You can read my 2010 end of year review here.

It definitely sounds like a pretty epic 2011 coming your way.

Any last words of inspiration for people looking to live their dream life?

Even if you’re living your dream life, there will still be struggles, challenges, and fears to deal with. So surround yourself with people who believe in you. And remember:

1. Take one small step everyday. By taking a tiny step toward your goal, you will succeed.

2. You are incredibly privileged. Do something with that privilege. Get involved in your community and keep this quote in mind if you start feeling blue:

“The big dividing line is not and has never been between those who advocate more or less militant forms of resistance, or between mainstream and grassroots activists. The dividing line is between those who do something and those who do nothing.” ~Derrick Jensen

Number two may be my favorite thing from this entire interview. Maintaining perspective and realizing how privileged we are is incredibly important, yet so easy to lose sight of.

Thank you, Tammy for taking the time for this interview!

See, isn’t her genuineness just jumping off the page? Well, if you haven’t been over to Rowdy Kittens go there now. Here are a couple of my favorites to get you rolling:
5 Lessons Learned from 3 Years of Blogging, Plus a Business Book Sale
How to Live Simply: Lessons I Learned from My Grandparents

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Living the Dream Interview – Melissa Gorzelanczyk

January 24, 2011

This week I chatted with Melissa Gorzelanczyk of Peace and Projects. After reevaluating her life and job in the corporate world, Melissa and her family decided to make changes. They worked to get out of debt – all $42,000 of it – and cut back on expenses. This allowed Melissa to follow her passions – she left her day job and became a hybrid homemaker- where she was able to find the balance between caring for her family and writing.

Without further ado, let’s get to the interview.

This interview series is about people who live their dream life – which looks different for everyone and is always evolving – can you describe your current Dream Life?

I no longer cringe when the alarm clock goes off. Since breaking up with my day job, I can take as long as I need to start the day. If I want, I can jump out of bed to read or write or practice yoga. I make the rules, which is something that makes me extremely happy.

At the end of the day, I’m here when the kids get home from school. I have time to make dinner from scratch (if I want). I don’t stay up until 11 p.m. folding laundry anymore. My dream life is really the best of two worlds – meeting my personal goals as a writer and less stress within the home as a homemaker.

You got out of debt and left your job to pursue your dreams of being a hybrid homemaker and writer. What was the biggest barrier you had to overcome in order to achieve your Dream Life?

Definitely getting our finances in order. We had to completely redefine our wants vs. needs. I had to quit consumerism and learn how to save money. We spent years trying to get out of debt and live within new budget. That wasn’t easy, especially with older kids who were used to a certain lifestyle.

What are the biggest challenges and biggest joys in your Dream Life that you didn’t expect?

The truth about life is that it will never be all joy. I still have bad days, down days, discontented days. It’s important to look within and say, “I’m feeling tired today,” or “I’m upset about this.” Call your emotions out; don’t try to pretend they don’t exist. Just because I quit my day job doesn’t mean I’ll never feel discouraged or doubtful.

Let’s get real now, because even my “worst days” are full of joy. A friend of mine called it “livin’ the life” and it really does feel like that. Joy from setting my own schedule, doing what matters to me and living mindfully, something I didn’t make time for in the past. That brings me incredible joy, everyday.

Yeah, I love that – “call your emotions out.” So often we don’t take the time to exactly pinpoint what we’re feeling and why.

Can you share some knowledge gain recommendations (blogs, books, documentaries, etc.)?

Zen Habits was a huge influence on my current lifestyle. I really related to Leo’s writing and he made me believe I could do anything I set my mind to.

More and more, I try to live my life in memorable scenes, a bit of wisdom from Donald Miller’s book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.

If you want to be inspired to live a simpler life, watch 180° South. The journey isn’t simple, but the message is beautifully simple.

I just watched 180° South and loved it! The scenery is gorgeous and the older men were particularly interesting and inspiring.

What’s the next big thing you’re pumped about?

Editing my novel into something people can actually read. Stay tuned.

Any last words of inspiration for people looking to live their dream life?

Today is the best day to do something amazing. Really. It is.

Thank you so much, Melissa!

If you haven’t checked out Peace and Projects, head over there now. These are two of my favorite posts to get you started:

The Adult Guide To Finding What You Want To Be When You Grow Up

What I Learned In The 29 Years Leading Up To Quitting My Day Job

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Impact the World Today

January 19, 2011

Did you have an impact today?

Did I?

Can we lead a normal life and still make a difference in the world?

Or is it only the really big acts that count?

I like to think that all the little kindnesses add up to a lifetime of greatness. So even though I didn’t invent a cure for cancer today or donate millions to a worthy cause – and may never do these in my lifetime – I still had an impact.

It was as simple as holding a coffee cup and purse for the girl sitting next to me on the plane today so she could get her luggage in the overhead bin.

Was this hard to do? No.

Was the girl extremely appreciative and happy for the help? Yes.

Even better I witnessed a trickle down effect as the man across the aisle jumped up to help the next person having difficulty with her luggage.

You might be thinking that this little kindness was meaningless. After all it’s not like I devised a plan to feed the hungry millions. And your absolutely right. What I did was minuscule on the life scale, but imagine what a world without these small acts would look like. The mom who unknowingly drops the baby blanket as she walks across the street would lose it forever, because no one would grab it and give it back to her. The elderly man who gets lonely during the holidays wouldn’t receive a plate of homemade cookies from his neighbor. The checkout girl would never get a smile or kind word because everyone would be snappy from having to wait in line.

We will lose our humanity if we can no longer feel empathy and a sense of community. We need to slow down and sympathize with others.

Here are some easy impact ideas:

Take time today to ask someone how they are and truly listen to the answer.
Do you know someone who really rocked a project? Well let them know – give a genuine compliment.
Hold the door for a mom trying to push a stroller through.

If you’re already meting out little kindnesses left and right then you are ready to move on. The next step is cumulative, so you will need to maintain the smaller deeds while adding on. This may mean donating to a worthy cause like Chris does with Charity: Water. Or it could mean volunteering your time, which Tammy explains is a great way to build community and overcome judgments. Or maybe it means adopting or seeing a need in your community and creating a solution. Everyone can create a unique way to impact the world.