Angie Stegall

Executive Wayfinder

by

Life has meaning in the struggle

There is a Swahili saying that I’ve been clinging to recently:

Life has meaning in the struggle.  Triumph or defeat is in the hands of the gods…. so let us celebrate the struggles.”

I haven’t written a blogpost here for awhile, partly because I’ve been writing more regularly through my personal blog Yukon & Bean, but also because I have been in major struggle.

Our motorhome GruYou probably know that my hubby and I sold most everything we owned and moved what was left in a 38′ Class A motorhome we call Gru.

Since the end of July, we have been traveling, working, and living full-time in this gigantic coach.

And if I’m being honest, the past few months have been a period of learning, struggle, and celebration in equal measure.

The learning and the struggle have consumed much of our time, energy, money and attention. Between air conditioning issues while we were working in Florida in August, to trying to figure out our solar set up, to a recent radiator issue, it’s been a HUGE learning curve.

On top of that, we started a new subcontracting job which we feel feel (finally) we are starting to find our groove with.

Celebration has only come recently. We crested the mountains as we entered California. The enormous giant orange ball of the sun was setting. Eddie Vedder was belting out his tune “Big Hard Sun” and I had a moment of, “Holy shit, we’re actually doing it.”  And of course, “it” is living on the road, making money, and living our dream. A dream we’ve talked about for the past six years.

But it ain’t been easy. I’ve been in “beginner’s mind” so much it has hurt.

This has caused me to pause. To reflect on the 14 years of self-employment I’ve enjoyed and the massive change my husband and I both made in August. To review the highlights (so many!) and the low points (so many try and fail moments, especially in the past four years).

I don’t feel broken, but I do feel bent. The struggle has been painfully real some days.

And so I’m not sure I have point for this particular note, other than to acknowledge the struggle.

Okay, but/and that’s not entirely true. The point just came to me: making radical changes can be hard. May even WILL be hard.

I’m still in the middle of it, so can I answer the question, “Has it been worth it?”

The struggle has sucked. So have all the “try and fail” moments in business.

And yet, because of all this struggle (the past four years and the past six weeks) has helped me form a vision for what I want my life to look like.

In fact, a friend (who is also a powerful coach) challenged me to decide what I want and announce it. And now that we’re on the road, living this RV lifestyle, I am becoming more clear about how I want that to look and feel.

So I think the point here is the same for you: if life isn’t how you want it, figure out how you DO want it. Say it out loud. Declare it. And then work towards it.

  • Can I promise it’ll be easy? Nope.

  • Can I promise it won’t be without real struggles? Nope.

  • Can I promise it will feel exactly the way you expected it to once you get there? Nope.

BUT, the act of going through the struggle while figuring all this out is kind of the point, I think.

I’ll keep you posted on our journey and how it continues to unfold.

let's work together

And if YOU are ready to embark on a new journey (job change, life change, time to write a book…), I’d love to help.

Folks often find tremendous clarity and relief after talking to me. If I can be of service to you, please reach out.

Warmly,

Angie