I just got back from four amazing days at a lake house on Oxoboxo lake in CT. Our little family of three desperately needed to escape the humid, hectic city for a few days and wander off into quietness, fresh air, and slower days. We could hear the morning birds, feel the cool breeze rushing over the lake, and take swims whenever we wanted. Heaven!

<--- Here is our "morning camp" :)

I am realizing that what I used to define as "life quality" is changing quickly(!) especially now that I am a mom.

During my swim in the lake, I began to think about something our Airbnb host wrote in her description of our rental: She said that the lake kids are running around from beach to beach freely and referred to them "free-range children."

When I read that my immediate reaction was: That sounds awesome! I want Felix to be a free-range kid!

And then, I immediately followed it up with: And, I want to be a free-range woman!

And this is exactly what leads me to the question I want you to encourage you to consider:

Are you a free-range person? Or, in other words: Are you truly free?

For the lake kids at Oxoboxo being free-range means that they are allowed to follow their own instincts, explore freely without the judgement of being either right or wrong, and play without a daunting clock hanging over their heads stealing away the bliss of leisure time.

Being "free-range" hints at the idea of feeling free in your body and environment, but also in your mind, in your emotional life, in your ideas and imagination, and -very importantly-in the pursuit of your desires.

Being "free-range" is not dependent on age!

Here is what I have noticed and why I think this topic is relevant: When we grow up and are the makers of our own life, we often don't live out our own freedom but instead become our own limiters/restrictors.

We buy into the belief that if we just let ourselves be completely ourselves -uncensored and free of restriction, shoulds, and self control- something terrible will happen. This can happen with our simple daily choices like what we eat, all the way to the career we pursue and the partner we choose.

Perhaps this is because we are taught from an early age to "keep it together," to exercise self discipline and that "smart decision" are those that happen in the brain; not in the heart.

I am not saying that we don't need discipline, self control, and reason, but many of us have sacrificed their joy, their soul's adventurous spirit, and their feminine intuition for the pure adaptation of their more controllable (& societally often praised) counterparts.

Well, love, let me tell you: YOU WILL NOT SELF-IMPLODE IF YOU GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO LIVE FREELY, to live free-range; in close touch with simply what makes you feel good at any given moment.

Quiet the opposite, actually: If you let yourself live "free-range", you will feel more ALIVE, younger, and playful!

If this resonates with you and you want to embrace your freedom more -and join the free-range tribe ;)- ask yourself what you are currently saying NO! to that you actually want to say YES! to.

Ask yourself what you have the urge to do, think, explore, wear, and talk about that you are currently keeping in the dark.

Ask yourself where in your life you are keeping yourself in a self-imposed jail, denying your own authenticity.

As I have written many times before: We cannot suffer or punish our way to greater happiness, joy, success, and love. The journey has to look and feel like we want the end-result to look and feel.

It all starts right now if you let it!

With love,