The Price To Be a Freedompreneur

"Are you willing to pay the price?"

A question I was asked during a recent and highly valuable business challenge in which I participated. The question was somewhat open ended; many individuals in this group had different goals in both business and in life, and as such, for what result we are paying the price varied from person to person.

But one thing we all had in common...we all yearned for freedom. Freedom to live the life we want. Freedom to pursue our passions. Freedom to not be bound by everybody else's expectations of what we do and how we do it.

Which lead to two questions that, as an entrepreneur, I asked myself...

First, what is that price? It's certainly different for everybody.

The notion of this is quite paradoxical, as we've all heard the quote "freedom isn't free." In the case of the challenge group I was in, "the price" pretty much referred to some sort of sacrifice or changing of our current lives to fit in additional activity that would allow us to pursue our quest as a freedompreneur.

For some, paying the price is as easy as walking away from things that we know aren't providing much benefit in our lives, like binge watching TV or scrolling aimlessly through social media. Not that we all don't need some downtime, but there are usually ways we can do this that promote our physical, mental, or spiritual well-being rather than potentially drain them.

For others, it may require taking a hard look at life and asking, "what are my top priorities?" Again, this is different for everybody, no judgement given for what anyone chooses to prioritize. For me, my priorities in life are spiritual fulfillment and service to others.

So when it comes to choosing where I focus my time and energy, I try to choose activities that fit in both of these categories, like parenting my children, promoting growth opportunities for those that seek, and leading local events that foster support and community.

The harder aspect of this is often deciding what to let go. For me, it was choosing what hobbies or interests to temporarily step back from-no easy task for a Gemini! I decided to focus on one hobby or interest that would both fulfill my spiritual seeking AND allow me to serve others immediately. My other few interests won't be put away forever; I'm simply making the conscious choice not to let them distract me from my immediate priorities.

What did I choose? Writing! My soul feels fulfilled by the creative aspect of it, and I can use my passion of communications to reach others who seek what I can offer.

There are certainly some other tough choices that I've had to make in my quest to be a freedompreneur. In some cases I've chosen to spend less time with loved ones outside of my immediate family, and I've learned that those who truly support me and have my best interest at heart will not be offended by this decision. In other cases, I've decided to step back from giving of myself in a capacity without regards to my end goal. From experience, I know that I cannot pour from an empty cup, and the service I can provide from a place of fulfillment far outweighs any attempts to give that cause resentment or perpetuate fatigue.

It certainly caused a bit of emotional turmoil to think of giving up anything in a capacity that's drastic from what I was used to. I naturally worried about what others might think of me or being disciplined enough to implement a new routine. Sometimes the emotion was, and still can be strong enough to make me reconsider if it's all worth it.

Which leads me to the second question that came up...

"What happens if I DON'T pay the price???!!!"

Once I identified my "price to pay", it became a lot easier to answer this question. It's easy for me to get caught up in the sacrifice, a.k.a. lacking mentality, and be turned off by the thought of doing what it takes to go after what I want. But then I remember how much I am already sacrificing by NOT paying the price and how much that sacrifice will continue to grow if I don't do something about it.

For me, I started off examining the more tangible or measurable sacrifices, like not making my own work schedule (if I were to stay employed forever), which leads to consequences like not being able to pick up my kids from school or having to use vacation days to simply go to a well-visit at a doctor.

These reasons make sense intellectually and certainly got me going on a conscious level. But I knew that if I dared to be moved, I would need to look inward for some real soul-crushing consequences that could come from not paying the price.

Am I willing to give up pursuing my passions? Will I always have to ignore that little voice inside of me that says "there's more than this!" And incase you are wondering, that little voice that started off quiet grew up quickly into the voice of a cheerleader with a megaphone (I once was!).

Am I going to let someone else dictate my worth for the rest of my life? This was a huge revelation for me, as I realized that I had so much education, training, knowledge, and life experience that would NEVER be compensated for in a job but have set me up perfectly for entrepreneurial pursuits where I serve others.

*For the record, I'm not knocking jobs. Many entrepreneurs still have jobs while they build their business outside of working hours. Also, many employees consider themselves to have an entrepreneurial spirit and mindset; they just work better in a setting where they take direction rather than give it. Jobs are essential for the world to go round, but they should never prevent anyone from following their dreams and expanding to their true potential.*

These were all questions that I needed to ask-and answer-for myself if I was serious about living a happy life according to my rules. I am so grateful I made the decision to challenge myself. So grateful for the leaders who put these questions in my head and continued to dig deep into my answers. So grateful for the dozens of other like-minded individuals I met during this challenge from whom I learned and was supported.

If you need some help getting motivated and looking for inspiration for your answers to these questions, I can help!

The challenge I mentioned above...??? It's available to you COMPLIMENTARY!

Are you ready for your entrepreneurial transformation? (YEP, click there to learn more!)

~Christine Bava~

*Thank you for reading, it is my pleasure to serve*