Living the Dream is Bullshit
*This post was originally written in September 2021.
I don't believe in starting a private practice to "live the dream". I didn't develop Create Opportunity for that purpose.
To be honest, I think living the dream is bullshit.
Because historically, living the dream has been rooted in white supremacy, consumerism, patriarchy, and other systems of oppression that reward some and hurt all.
But.
This week, I am reflecting on my dreams from 2016 and how different my life is now, and I am feeling so incredibly grateful. It was then I started my private practice. Now I am ending the very first year of business as Lloyd Collective, and celebrating five completed Create Opportunity cohorts. I'm thinking about how:
I started this emailing list August 2020 (before I even registered the business as an LLC!) with 13 people, and now it has 300.
I get to take naps most days (YES).
Two people reached out to me this week asking which organizations I recommend for their donations.
Yesterday, I watched out the window as it rained and I, relaxedly and at my own pace, worked through my to-do list.
My kids are finally back at school, and wearing the new rain jackets I just got them.
On deeper levels, I am free from what was an abusive relationship. I work with clients I love. I am safe, my home is warm.
Really simple things. And honestly, very much a result of, yes, I'll say it, those dreams* I had 5 years ago of starting a business and creating a very different life for myself and my children. (*and privilege, whichI aim to address, in part, through this business).
So living the dream? Still a hard no. But I do believe in listening to ourselves. Trusting ourselves,even if what we can imagine is completely different from almost everything we can see.When we do this and create what we most desire, our dreams are actually what's best for everyone around us too.
I apologize for being a bit too touchy-feely here. I don't mean to do so as a way of manipulating feelings. I mean this more as a way of transparently and vulnerably sharing that, little by little, bird by bird, things definitely change. And, you know my story, a lot of this happened for me as a result of starting a private practice.
If you'd like to start one, come join a cohort.