You have probably heard me countless times preach about pursuing the life that you love. And I am indeed proud that most of us are already walking through this journey together, in every little way we can. But when we talk about being bold enough to get after the life we truly want, there’s someone whose family story speaks so much of this fearlessness. And that’s why I invited Haley Stewart, writer and mom, into this podcast to inspire many of us who are still struggling with fears in getting the life we want.

 

Taking the Huge Leap

Haley and her family left everything behind in the city to live in a farm, under a 650 sq ft home with no flushing toilets. Yes, you read that right. It might seem too ‘bold’ of a move or even absurd for some of us, but Haley and her family realized that more quality time together matters most to their family. They realized that in the midst of endless bills and overtime work, sacrificing the time for their family to thrive in the rat race is not the ideal life they signed up for.

Now, from growing their own food to studying, they do everything TOGETHER. It’s a simple, happy life, and it’s the ideal for Haley and her husband to get the most out of remaining time with their kids before they get to college, and go on their own just years after. (See also How to Find Joy in an Age of Discontentment.)

Other life-changing stuff you will learn in this episode…

• The awesome story of Haley’s family from city to farm living
• Thinking outside the box to solve issues that hinder your core values
• Overcoming other people’s disapproval and judgments when you choose a different course of life
• Merging the values we learn from our parents to the values we have now. (And how our children can learn that as well while giving them the space they need to be themselves)
• Figuring out what we are about and how do we pursue that from where we are
• Importance of examining our life daily and how to do it
• Conquering the need to “be productive and not waste time with the kids”

“Figure out what your family is about. Then pursue that from where you are.” -Haley Stewart

Remember…

The perfect instagram mother is not real. Us moms face different challenges and have our own life pursuits that ask us to take a leap to get there. Even if it means switching gears from having a consumerist lens of viewing the world to seeing things gratefully.

You may expect yourself to be different from the way God made you and then get frustrated. But God made you a certain way for a reason. He gave you all of the passions and talents needed for you to pursue what you truly are.

Meet Haley

Haley authored the book “The Grace of Enough: Pursuing Less and Living More in a Throwaway Culture”. Part of this book is her family’s journey, where they leave everything to live in a farm in a 650 sqft home and no flushing toilets. Included are important insights of going to exactly what you want even if it seems totally crazy to the world around you. She’s the podcaster and blogger for carrotsformichaelmas.com, and the co-founder of the Raspberry Catholic Cordial Gathering.

IG: @haleycarrots

Podcast: Fountains of Carrots

Blog: carrotsformichaelmas.com

Book: The Grace of Enough