“I’m not sure who I am, but I know who I’ve been.” —Modest Mouse. “Make Everyone Happy/Mechanical Birds“ If quitting your job doesn’t cause you to question your identity, nothing will. We are conditioned to tie who we are to what we do. More than that, we create stories and assign labels to ourselves and…
Miracles and Meaning?
I’m ready to defer this haphazard career journey I started in August. As much as substitute teaching and exploring special education excite me, that “Change Yo Life” fund is empty, and not having a steady paycheck is hard. But giving up your financial security and not having a “shit hits the fan” safety net sends…
On the Road Again: #SFD19 Bound
In the last four months of 2019, I traveled so much that I had to make a promise to keep the peace at home. After HopperX1NYC in November, I wouldn’t travel again until January 2020. When I made that promise, I had my fingers crossed that an invite to Storage Field Day 19 would come…
New Gig Chronicles: Back-to-School Edition
Today is the revelation of something that I’ve worked for three months to bring to fruition. Honestly, this adventure might be 35 years in the making. Picture a bossy little girl, chalk, and chalkboard in hand, begging grownups to play student to her teacher. That was me. And I’m about to embark on my first…
Word Up: 2020 Edition
“Daddy works. Mommy doesn’t work,’ my daughter cheerfully said to my mother-in-law as we packed up to lease. While I tried to quickly interject that she wasn’t right and that I write, her words stung. Was this the “less” I had envisioned for 2019? Eleven months earlier, my massage therapist asked, “Do you have a…
2019 Retrospective: Wins, Woes and Lessons Learned
Dear Universe. 2019 was pretty epic. Can you send just as much change and adventure in 2020? Signed Becky. 2019 changed me. Am I “100% that bitch” who takes bold actions? I hope. Author Simon Sinek has this quote that I love. “Words may inspire us but only action creates change.” This year’s adventures changed…
Dear Luigi …
“Did you pay him for this, mom?” my 11-year-old asked. He wasn’t asking about the ability to be a podcast guest, but for the sage advice that Luigi doled out. Liberally. Both of my kids became convinced that Luigi Danakos (@nerdblurt) was the new life coach that I recently mentioned. He wasn’t. However, like a…
Sabbatical Month 3: The End of this Sabbatical?
Trips to Anaheim, then Las Vegas, and New York after two days at home; it all sounds pretty amazing and makes for a happy life story on Twitter, right? Here’s the real-life part, at this juncture, the only way that I could have the freedom to attend these events is by giving up $11k/month in…
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A six-figure salary from a blog about succulents?! How is that even possible?! Wait, why CAN’T I make money from blogging? Re-thinking What’s Possible Thank you, Do It Scared® with Ruth Soukup for changing what I believed was possible with blogging. Ruth does these “Get Ruth-ed” episodes where she will “live” coach an Elite Blogging…
Post-Mortem of the Wrong Job
The twitter-verse is full of hopeful “new job” posts. Have you ever wondered how many of the jobs are happily ever after or do they fizzle out under the force of unmet expectations?! The latter story rarely gets told, but its the one I want to tell. Eight months into the tenure of my (now…