This freaking amazing, kid-directed camp where she can play soccer and learn how to knit and play video games and make HD movies, all on her own time, all in the same day.

This camp that’s all day, five days a week, all summer.

And then she starts kindergarden.

Facing this transition from a mom who was mostly-homeschooling, almost 24-7 with a kid for 5 years, to a mom with a kid in school sharing joint custody … I’ve been in this bizarrely calm, zen like state.

For the first moment in over five years, I have time.

For the foreseeable future, I have time.

Time to do my insanely long to do list, the huge brainstorm of projects I would like to create, all the admin stuff I’ve been putting off in my business and life, all the stories and ideas I have not yet written or videoed about. The new cities I want to explore. Aerial dance classes. Rock climbing & backpacking again. New food to eat and drinks to indulge in, hot yoga classes to try. Beaches to walk on. All of the everythings I’ve been setting aside on that huge list of “until.”

And … time for something else. Something I have been neglecting for years.

I have time to think.

Think about my business & my tribe. What people need, where the mission of living your truth is going, where I want to be in few months, where it is all going decades from now, how the little things I do now are infecting people, what we can do together to spread that change throughout our corner of the world.

Think about my life. What I really want, what I really need, about what are my opinions and beliefs about the world and how I fit into it, where I want to live, how much stuff I really need, who I want to spend time with, where I fit into their lives, what I need in my day to day life for me to be happy.

Think about nothing. Go for long walks. Sit and stare at the water. Close my eyes and listen to traffic or the white noise of people chatting in airports or museums or the Starbucks a half-block from my apartment.

This post is a signpost.

This post marks a beginning.

Of what … well, I have no freaking idea.

Yum.

The best adventures are born when you don’t know what the frak is going to happen.

When you open yourself up to the possibility, get really clear about who you are and the mission you are bringing to the world, create a space of time and quiet and peace, pack a bag, and take massive action when the most scary inspiration that resonates with your soul hits you in the face.

Or whispers dark seductions in your ear.

So stay in tune for what happens on this next year of living my truth.

I have no particulars about the deliciousness that I will be blogging to you.

All I know is that the ecstasy and the insanity all start today.

My first grown-up private space where I make all the decisions, full of white walls and serenity and only those things with which I have fallen in love.

But that is not the only place where my soul is at peace.

Where I explore my passions and push my boundaries. Where I leave pieces of my heart.

Chicago Midway is one such place.

I’m here now, sitting in the bar, writing and watching and nursing a beer.

The white noise, the energy moving through this place, is meditative and exciting and inspirational.

Everyone is a walking story.

With new babies and on honeymoons, traveling to their grandmother’s funeral or to the birthday party of their best friend from college, going on the Hawaii vacation they’ve been saving for for five years or to the first meeting with the long distance lover they found online, on their way to close the big business deal or to make that one last desperate pitch so they can meet their commission quota for the month.

I love exploring to hunt down the secret empty seats, the desperate search for electric plugs as my iPhone hits 10%, questing for the one place that might actually serve something vegetarian besides a plastic bowl of iceberg gopped with ranch dressing.

Feeling absolutely alone yet pulled into the rhythm of boarding, the herd exiting planes and flowing towards baggage claim, people moving in and out of the seats at the bar as their time comes.

Always on my way to or from my adventure.

Connecting with the closest friends I have ever had. Spreading the world about Live Your Truth. Sliding down ziplines or dancing in clubs until 4 in the morning or driving 3 hours to get a tattoo.

Long walks flowing with the walk signs, randomly exploring a city. Toes sinking into the sand along the ocean while avoiding the cold waves as they chase us, the tide coming in. Endless conversations over endless martinis, wondering if we’ll be thrown out for laughing too hard. Finding the nearest Starbucks at 7:30 am and at 11:00 pm, gossiping about the laptop screens we’re reading over shoulders. Sitting silently in an empty bistro patio, smoking and listening to the trains shake their way through the city. Walking the entire length of the Las Vegas strip in search of a Walgreens.

I can write in these places. Think. Be inspired.

Hear the truth that lies dormant when I’m moving through my ordinary life.

I need my home to be nowhere, I need my home to be everywhere, for me to feel how to be all of myself.

Where do you love to be, besides your home?

Where is your office away from the office?

Where do you go to think, to write, to feel at peace, to be yourself?

Sitting still is a rarity for me. Even when writing, I’m usually still for about 5 minutes between entrepreneurial distractions, kidstractions, and other demands.

Today, though, I was in the middle of some planned reading.

@chipconley‘s “Peak” has been in my hands for about 4 weeks – and it’s due back to the library soon, so I figured I’d better jump in and get my learning in for the week.

“It is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life.”

This is an excerpt from the quote that opens chapter six. It’s Jim Collins’ quote from “Good to Great”, and it gave me pause.

Pause, for me, is like heavy trauma.

Instantly (during the pause), I considered dozens of implications, not the least of which was writing this post for EPW.

That was at the forefront of my mind.

Because living my truth has become an adventure in living a meaningful life.

I remember the moment I first started living my truth.

As a child, I stood up to a relative that was behaving inappropriately (to say the least) – and was promptly quashed by my own Mother, who told me it was my fault he was behaving that way.

In that moment, I stopped living my truth – for a time.

I remember the next moment I started living my truth.

In college (the first time), I discovered the Internet, quit school, moved to the other side of the country, built a business, gave birth – and was promptly quashed by the man in my life when he decided to invite another woman (and her child) to share our home (and his bed), and essentially boot me to the curb.

Ah, my ‘young and stupid’ days.

Returning home to Michigan, I stopped living my truth – for a few years – as I tried on various truths: single mom, touring “rock star” (I recorded 2 full length albums), college graduate, financial advisor, and a host of other ideas that didn’t quite fit.

This pattern of starting and stopping, starting and stopping, left me clinging to fragments of the person I thought I “should” be or “could” be – not really knowing what truth was for myself.

And then came the accident.

The moment I accidentally started living my truth – kind of fell into it, I guess you could say.

As a child, God blessed me with the annoying habit of asking “Why?” all the time. Mom hated it. Dad hated it. My teachers hated it.

I wasn’t satisfied with ‘good enough’ and that adage makes me want to puke. To me, good enough rarely is. It forced me to find “a better way” to grow my direct sales business. And by accident, I wrote a book, launched a coaching company, and have helped thousands of clients all over the world to find “a better way” in their own business.

And then the second accident.

Realizing that asking “why” was the key to most of my success all along. It forced the launch my new business, because I wanted to help mompreneurs find a better way to live life and build a business without making excuses or apologies.

EPW and I have some history. We’ve charted parallel (and divergent) territories in the past year. It’s challenging to sum up all the learning, condense it into a single post that will rock your socks off.

But here it is: Do you believe you deserve to live your truth?

The answer to that question is important, but the answer to this question is even more important: Why?

Because whether you believe you do or don’t, the reason why is the catalyst that keeps you stuck, moves you forward, or burns your bridges.

Late last year, I realized that the clients I worked closest with, the ones that saw the best results, were the ones working on their values, their beliefs, and the “stuff” that really mattered to them – regardless of their industry. People kept asking me how I was accomplishing so much, how I was able to keep a level head – even when my family was dealt devastating blow after blow for the past 2 years.

The short answer was that I had to have some meaning in my life. Despite the chaotic cacophony around me, there was a respite, a sanctuary in asking “Why” all the time.

My mantra is “You are the most important product your company has to offer”, and I don’t pay it lip service. My goal continues to be to fully LIVE a great life. That’s a life fraught with meaning, thank you very much.

A meaningful life, to me, is rarely flaccid, boring, or unremarkable. It has ebb and flow, it has ups and downs – sometimes manic ups and downs.

Living my truth is finding that meaning in every moment - from the bedside teleclass when my oldest son was in the hospital, to the nightly bedtime prayer and singalong with my four year old, to the on-again, off-again, struggles with my hubby about housework, dollars per hour, and finances.

These are all pieces of what make me who I am. They are what give me (and my life) meaning. If I don’t like it, I’m the only one that can change it. Because meaning is personal.

I’ve discerned over the last year or so (with the help of EPW) that living my truth means helping people find the value (and meaning) in who they are and what they bring to the world – as a human AND a business owner. As entrepreneurs (and as a mompreneur myself), our businesses are an extention of who we are – an extention of our personal meaning.

And in truth, when we believe we deserve to live our truth (and understand why), the rest of our goals and ambitions becomes almost too easy.

But living your truth consistently, well, that’s the hard part.

Because it’s easy to step back and be quashed. It’s easier (for a time) to give up and let someone else dictate your truth.

It’s easier, that is, until it becomes hard. So hard that you can’t help but live it or die trying.

And that’s the truth of Lisa Robbin Young – to live with meaning, or die trying.

About Lisa Robbin Young: Tired of having to apologize to her family for loving her business, and apologizing to her clients for being a mom, Lisa created The Renaissance Mom, LLC, a company focused on helping mompreneurs bring life and family into balance without apologies. Sometimes her sink is full of dishes, but her kids always know what she looks like and business has never been better. Lisa believes that understanding the value of who you are and what you bring to the world is the “secret” to striking that balance. Her annual event, The Renaissance Mom Experience is focused on inspiring, connecting and helping mompreneurs to do exactly that. Connect with Lisa and learn more at TheRenaissanceMom.com.

Writing a blog post.

I thought tonight’s post would be one of my to-be-written angst filled manifestos about all the reasons I suck, or the monetization bubble, or my theories on why standard relationships may not work for me …

… but that’s not what is coming out of me tonight.

The thing is, I’m happy.

Sitting here in my empty apartment in San Francisco, listening to music on the tinny speaker of my iPhone, smelling the heaters that have been turned on the first time in months, my feet tingly after a long evening of randomly walking around soma (south of market) … I’m happy.

Happy in an insane, giddy, drunk with freedom way.

(yes, this is the change talking, not the wine…)

I love that this apartment is empty.

White walls. Echoy floor. Empty cabinets and closets and cubbies.

I love that this apartment is in the city.

I can hear the cars going by on the street 4 stories below.

I can feel the energy of the people, locals buying groceries at the shop below, recent transplants looking for the nearest walgreens, couples comfortably holding hands as they look for the restaurant, tourists snapping at each other in a foreign language as they hold up a map & point at buildings, taxis honking as they almost run over a jaywalker …

… I’m connected to that chaos.

But only by a tendril.

For the moment, I’m safe, secluded, sheltered from the chaos outside.

In my expanse of space. Of potential.

I don’t know how long I’ll live in this apartment.

Or this city. Or how long I can tolerate being connected to the chaos.

I don’t know if San Francisco is just another stop on my journey, or if it will become a long-term home base for my adventures.

But, for tonight, I’m in love with San Francisco.

I’m in love with my apartment. I’m in love with the chaos and the shelter, the crowds and the empty, exploring the expanses and resting curled up on my air mattress.

I’m home.

It’s a challenge. It feels uncomfortable.

Living your truth is not an absolute.

I can’t teach you what your truth is … that is your own personal exploration. It’s a dialogue, a conversation with yourself. With your clients. With everyone who cares about you.

And the only way to live in your truth is to have support.

A community. Other amazing friends to go on this adventure with you.

In that spirit, I’m starting a Live Your Truth Twitter Chat on Sundays at 6 pm Pacific (Los Angeles time) / 9 pm EST (New York time), where each week we will be discussing specific ideas, challenges, experiences, and topics relevant to living our truth in our businesses and lives.

The first chat starts THIS SUNDAY February 21st!

The #lytchat is open to everyone who wants to join the conversation!

Of course, a bunch of the members of the 6 Weeks to Live Your Truth program will be there, adding to the discussion.

What is a Twitter Chat?

Think of a twitter chat as like a bunch of us sitting around a table discussing a topic.

Except we are all sitting at our separate computers in different parts of the world.

And instead of discussing it with our voices, we are typing our questions, answers, and opinions into twitter. In 140 characters at a time.

The way twitter chats are organized is by using a hashtag, so the entire conversation can be gathered together into one place, searched, and followed … best practice is to follow these chats using a site made just for this – I like to use tweetchat.com

If you have any questions/feedback/ideas about #lytchat or topics you’d like for us to dicsuss, please comment below!

The tattoo is not because “Live Your Truth” is my brand (lol), but it is a visual reminder, a renewal of the decision I made back in June … to live my truth, to choose to be uncomfortable every day, to be a visible leader.

My new tattoo is the ink on my live your truth contract. The contract I made with myself.

But … good thing you don’t have to get a tattoo to start living your truth, eh?

If you want to learn more about living your truth, or make your own commitment to your “live your truth” journey, join us at http://theliveyourtruthproject.com

And … I’d love to hear your tattoo story, your adventure story, your “how you memorialized your commitment to yourself” story … or anything else you’d like to share or comment about.

There are 24 entries in my “blog post ideas” text file. A few one-liners, a few with a couple bullet points, and two that are brain dumps of half-formed paragraphs and unconnected ideas.

I spend a fair amount of my life in the creation of content. Whether it’s an adventure, a tragedy, a haunting idiosyncrasy or a moment of enlightenment … always thinking, would this make an interesting video, an epic blog post? Is this a chapter in my next book?

But I’m still surprised, confused, upset, intimidated, when someone calls me a writer.

I’m comfortable being called an attorney – I mean, I have a degree and a license and passed a test and have the certificate that says I earned that one.

I’m obviously a mom – gave birth, raising the kid, spending tons of time and energy full of guilt that I’m not doing the right thing. I’ve totally earned that one.

Sometime during the last 6 years I morphed into an entrepreneur. Not when I started my business … back then I was just an independent attorney/financial advisor … but over the last 6 years I embraced the crazy, risk-taking, addiction of the startup entrepreneur.

Back in November 2009 I became a blogger. After refusing to write a word for 6 months (well, except for a few thousand tweets), I came back from a live event and reported my truth. And burned some bridges. And dozens of people commented, emailed, @ replied, RT’d, DM’d me how my truth resonated with their truth. I was just the one who spoke the controversy they were thinking but not saying. And, as such, I became a blogger.

I’ll even let you call me a coach. That one took a while … because I’ve never taken a training program, or been certified, or had some entity or organization or person proclaim me an official coach. It wasn’t until I was paid specifically to coach clients, until I got those first emails “just one thing you said made me back the money for this entire coaching program” and “thank you so much for making everything clear” that I realized, I do it intuitively. There is something about who I am, what I bring with me when I walk into a room or get on the phone with a client, that brings caring and courage and clarity. I was born a coach.

The latest addition to my twitter bio is aspiring adventurer. This is the part of me that I forgot when I decided to grow up at age 25 and be who I was “supposed” to be, instead of what I thought was unrealistic and impossible. This is what my last 3 months have been about, remembering the crazy EPW, the one who wants to go past the warning signs and jump out of planes and live a life of ecstasy. Yes, at heart, I am an adventurer.

And then we come to that whole “writer” thing.

Augh.

I am sitting here in the cantina at Chevy’s, nursing a margarita to lubricate the writing of this post.

And I understand why so many writers become alcoholics.

Because unlike law, motherhood, blogging, coaching, adventuring …

Writing is an art.

It is fundamentally a creative, inspired endeavor.

There is no objectivity. There is no done. There is no decision.

There is no degree or test or certification or award that tells you when you are a writer.

It is something that just happens. Or something we are cursed. Or blessed. Or born to be.

Writing takes everything.

As an INFJ personality, my core, my truth is complicated and personal and protected. To reveal that on the page is incredibly intimate. And consuming. Like I’m possessed by an urge that’s both irresistible and abusive to my sanity.

And after the creation, I’m spent. Hungover. I need a nap or a drink or an intervention.

And then once the post goes live? Once I tweet it and post it to facebook and email it to my list?

Then comes the obsessive refreshing of the page to see if I have any comments. The checking my @ replies for retweets.

I usually have to turn off my internet (and I mean turn off the freaking router) and go to Starbucks or Target or watch a movie on iTunes to give people enough time to actually read the blog post and have a chance to comment, before I freak because no one has commented in the 30 seconds since the post went live.

When people say “I want to be a writer” I look at them, flabbergasted, as if they have said “I want to be a heroin addict” or something equally insane. I mean, who in the world would wish this on themselves? Who would wish this on anyone?

And then I look back on my life. A childhood of writing short stories and poetry and unfinished novels. The reading of thousands of books. Taking classes in creative writing where I felt that I failed because I got an A- instead of an A. Having everything I’ve ever submitted for publication to be accepted, in papers and magazines and newsletters and blogs and books, and yet never been paid for any of them.

I’ve been a writer my whole life.

But I never felt crowned a writer.

… 0f course, maybe all of this angst is total bullsh*t.

Maybe writing is not a terrible curse. Maybe it is not anything. Maybe this is just something that I am, something that I have to get over.

And maybe the process of getting over it is the painful part.

Once I get over it, accept it, embrace it … then it’s just something that’s a true fact. Part of me. Like having blond hair or speed reading or loving spicy food or understanding particle physics.

So that was my 2010 New Year’s Resolution. Not a goal, or a thing to quit.

My 2010 New Year’s Resolution was to get over the fact that I really am a writer.

And … isn’t it interesting how I phrased that?

“Get over the fact…” <– That’s not a decision. That’s a proposal to decide in the future. wtf.

So screw that resolution.

Let’s make a declaration right now.

I am a writer.

And that fact is not something that is terrible. That fact is not a curse.

It’s just a fact. A part of who I am. A thing that I do.

I’m not saying that I’m the most brilliant writer that ever lived, or that everyone is going to like how I write, or that I’m going to create powerful prose every day.

Writing is just one of the many ways in which I live my truth.

So the next time you see me lament on twitter about how hard it is to write, the next time you hear me whine about the last blog post … call me on that angst filled bullsh*t.

Writing is just one thing that I do.

#thatisall

—

Are you struggling with being a writer? Are you refusing to embrace a part of who you are? Are you manufacturing angst in your life by refusing to accept part of your calling?

I’d love to hear your feedback, thoughts, comments below!

Of course you do.

Join @ElizabethPW and @AllisonNazarian for the weekly twitter chat “Epic Adventures in Everyday Life” (#epicchat) on Wednesdays at 5:00 PM Pac / 8:00 PM EST

Join EPW (closer-to-the-edge girl) and ANaz (closer-to-home girl) as they explore:

• How life doesn’t stop when you become a mom … it begins.
• Why you need (at least) a bit of crazy and adventure in your life, even if you are not a risk-taker or adrenaline junkie.
• How you don’t need to travel to India or jump out of a plane to transform your life.
• How to marry the idea of crazy & fun & freedom into real, practical, day- to-day life.
• Why it’s hard to bring adventure into your life in a vacuum, and how real and powerful friendships are your “key ingredient” for making life itself an adventure.
• How to run your career/business, have a real life, go on adventures, and be a great mom … all at the same time … without being frozen by guilt or overwhelm.

Each week we will choose a different topic & invite special guests to share their awesometastic ideas & inspirational stories with you.

Elizabeth Potts Weinstein (aka @ElizabethPW, aka EPW) is a mom, entrepreneur, and crazy adventurer who feels more at home in airports, hotels, taxicabs, new friends’ homes or while tweeting up in bars, climbing a mountain or randomly walking around a city, than she does at the place where she keeps her stuff. She uses her travels as inspiration for her blog & videos, for coaching clients, and for creating new programs exploring how to Live Your Truth in business and life. If you want to follow her particular kind of insanity, check her on on twitter, facebook, or on her blog (EPW: of course you know about that, you’re on my blog right now. lol.).

Allison Nazarian (@AllisonNazarian) is a Mom, writer, empire-builder, author, former introvert, former control freak, future bookstore owner and current NFL junkie and Howard Stern fan who craves the comfyness, safety and familiarity of home while slowly but surely embracing the fun, flow and adventure of life on the edge. Allison writes copy, columns and blogs and teaches others how to do the same. Connect with Allison on twitter, Facebook or at AllisonNazarian.com.

A “bucket list” is everything you want to do before you “kick the bucket” — everything you want to do before you die.

The first time I made a bucket list was in my freshman year of high school.

It was 1989. Sitting in the back of an auditorium filled with 1600 honors students, while one of those Tony-Robbins-wanna-be hyped up motivational speakers yelled at us from the stage.

His big speech was trying to inspire a bunch of high school students to make a list of 100 goals for their lives:

“Studies show that only 4 of you in this room will actually do it, but making this list will change your life! Decide today to be one of the 4 people!”

So, I decided to be one of the 4 people.

And I made my first bucket list.

That original list has passed into history – maybe it’s in a box at my parent’s house, I’m looking for it the next time I’m in town – but I’ve kept that original list & all the additions in my head for the last 21 years, checking things off as I go.

Today is the first day I’ve shared them in public. And, the first day I’ve asked for help.

I’m posting my bucket list for you for three reasons:

• to hold me accountable,
• to see if you have resources to help make them happen, and
• to see if any of you want to come along.

So, do you want to join me on an adventure? Look below, and take your pick.

The EPW Bucket List (in no particular order):

1. walk on the moon
2. see the sun rise over the earth from space
3. spacewalk
4. land a plane
5. ride in a fighter jet
6. skydive
7. skydive solo
8. learn to swim
9. learn to swim underwater
10. dive off a diving board
11. learn to scuba dive
12. finish an Ironman race
13. learn to salsa dance
14. learn to tango
15. learn to belly dance
16. learn to fence
17. chase an eclipse
18. explore the Galapagos Islands
19. explore Antarctica
20. explore New Zealand
21. explore Alaska
22. explore Japan
23. explore China
24. explore India
25. explore Morocco
26. ride a hot air balloon over the plains of Africa
27. hike across the Grand Canyon, rim to rim
28. hike the narrows in Zion Canyon
29. spend the night camping in Canyonlands
30. watch hot lava pouring from a volcano
31. climb a glacier
32. climb a tall famous mountain
33. learn to ski or snowboard
34. learn to speak a foreign language well enough to get along in that country
35. sing karaoke [to do 3/15/2010 at sxsw #techkaraoke]
36. learn to play the piano
37. learn to play the guitar
38. write a song (lyrics & music)
39. learn to horseback ride
40. drive a race car really fast on a race track
41. learn to ride a motorcycle
42. go into a random brick-n-mortar bookstore & see my book on sale
43. be on national TV
44. speak on a stage with 400+ in the audience
45. get paid thousands of dollars to speak to an audience
46. write a fantasy fiction novel
47. write a screenplay
48. make a music video
49. make a full-length movie
50. have a one-liner in a big-screen movie
51. have a TV show
52. host a live event
53. get a tattoo [DONE!! 2/11/2010 with Allison Nazarian]
54. play poker in a vegas casino
55. go to the airport & get on the next plane to where ever & go w/ the flow
56. go dog sledding

DONE! — Completed Bucket List Items):

Listed in order of completion, starting with bucket list stuff completed in the 4th grade.

• learn to not-drown
• get to go in the deep end of the pool
• get a ribbon at the science fair
• sing a solo in front of a crowd
• write a poem
• storyboard a music video
• write a short story
• learn a musical instrument
• complete the high ropes course
• orienteer through the woods without an adult
• slow dance w/ a boy
• dance in a musical
• fly in a plane
• go to space camp
• successfully land a plane in a real fighter jet simulator
• sing in the choir
• water ski
• take a public bus by myself
• have sex
• drive a car
• learn to play tennis
• backpack overnight & sleep under the stars
• backpack & camp overnight alone
• go rock climbing
• go rappelling
• be on the varsity team
• place at a track meet
• explore Hawaii
• learn to play racketball
• get drunk
• go spelunking
• teach a class
• smoke pot
• eat in a fancy restaurant & order a bottle of wine
• move to California
• fly in a private plane
• live in my own apartment
• fly first class
• eat real sushi
• gamble at a real casino
• get a piercing
• finish a marathon
• buy a new car
• take a train across the country
• stay in a 5 star hotel
• explore Australia
• walk through a rain forest
• see the great barrier reef
• start my own business
• have a client who pays me money
• be featured in the newspaper
• give birth
• write & publish a book
• be on TV
• be on the radio
• have a radio show
• stand at the rim of an active volcano
• buy one pair of really expensive shoes (6/5/2009)
• throw a party & have people show up (first tweetup 10/14/2009)
• catch a cab by myself in NYC (10/16/2009)
• sing a song to other people (posted the video online 10/21/2009)
• navigate the NYC subway as an adult (12/31/2009)
• let another person control an adventure (1/8-1/10/2010 adventure w/ Ori)

What’s on your bucket list?

yes, I love the idea of adventure, but I have kids, I don’t have the money to travel, I don’t have time to get out of town … how do I incorporate adventure & fun into my regular life?

And that’s the secret … adventure is not about travel. It’s not about big. It’s not about crazy. Adventure is a way of looking at the world, a way of living … even in your ordinary life.

So what out of your comfort zone, non-regular-person thing are you going to do today, to turn this day from ordinary into extraordinary?