Hey Get Free Fam,

Hope you're having a lovely weekend, dodging the smoke if the Canadian wildfires are drifting your way, and staying out of the heat, which seems to be next-level hot everywhere that's in summertime right now.

So I'm writing this issue late on Saturday evening because I didn't know what I wanted to tap into this week. To keep it a buck, it has been a few weeks of fast eye blinking and slow shaking of heads as life has well and truly been life-ing. We share from scars, not raw wounds, so more to come when there's something coherent and useful to share. The one thing I will say: Live your life to the fullest. Don't save things for "best," don’t tolerate nonsense people and situations (because who really has time for that?!) And don't wait on retirement to take that trip (because real talk, the way the world is set up, we'll all be working until we're 110.)

OK, let’s get into it. I had an incredible dream the other night. I was sat at a table with some people I know (but didn't know, because it's never the actual people you know IRL) and I did something very uncharacteristic: I cussed them out. Not loudly, not with any heat, but each and every one got read for filth.

And then I went on a walk with some old guy (who had on a really great tan suit) who said I should apologize. I didn't cuss him out (because even in our dreams we respect our elders), but I made it clear I would not be participating in any kind of apology. He didn't look too pleased, and I looked completely unbothered.

Later in the dream, something else unexpected happened: some of the folks on the receiving end of my verbal chanclas apologized for their behavior. The reason I'd cussed them out (respectfully) was down to how they responded to a question about what I wanted to do. I shared very simply my idea, and one of them sneered/snort-laughed and said "well, that's just really small. Why would you do that?"

And that, dear GFFs, is what we need to dig into. I was "mad" because this dumb-ass mocked my dream (mocked my dream within my dream. Could you imagine? Rude!) But isn’t this what we’re all scared of, maybe trapped in? Doing something that others might make fun of?

Having this dream reminds me of a post I wrote back in November. I'm resharing it below because it's still relevant and is landing a little more squarely. Dreams, purpose and desires refuse to be silenced even when you think you’ve moved on. So how are you tackling yours?

Take a read, and let's talk - what are you dreaming of and how are you moving towards it? Email [email protected] or just hit reply to this email (and if this was forwarded to you, but sure to subscribe so you can keep up with the Get Free conversations that drop every Sunday.)

While home I walked … a lot (if you’re new here, home is Barbados.) I LOVE the water, so strolling next to the vastness of the ocean was a real treat, even though the humidity had me fighting for my life every single day (but come through, skin and hydrated hair!) I found myself thinking: I wish I could do this every day. And a quiet voice said: "What's stopping you?" I've heard this before, but mostly ignored it. But something shifted on this trip. This dream doesn't want to be quiet any more.

Here's the thing — and this isn't breaking news — we all have things we desire, from the small to the audacious. Sometimes it feels strange to even acknowledge them out loud. The desires of your heart can feel too big, too impractical, too far away. Or we worry about what others might say. So we talk ourselves out of wanting them. But here's the thing: we can't really get free if we're not even acknowledging what's true for us.

Let me give you an example. I've always wanted to work for myself. Always. Years ago I started my own podcast production company, creating content for news outlets, working with business owners to develop their company narratives, and pitching companion pods and branded content to magazines (this is before branded was a thing or there was ANY money in it.) But ultimately I couldn't make it work. I finally said yes to a regular 9-5 (and happily so), but always wondered what could have been — especially when many pod companies were acquired for not insignificant amounts of money about a decade later.

Let me give you another example - this time from my mum. She left her home and her family as a young woman for a new life thousands of miles and an ocean away. She didn't have a fancy education or degrees hanging on the wall, but she worked. And worked. And worked. In the midst of working, she always talked about going back home — the English cold was not her ministry. She's an island babe! It wasn't clear how she would make it back to the motherland, but she never stopped thinking and talking about it.

One year, mum took a trip home for a vacation — and came back with some land. Just a patch of grass marked off with spray paint and some metal pegs, but it was hers. That land sat empty for years while she worked to pay it off. Then, once it was paid off, she saved more money to get the plans drawn up. And then she saved again for contractors to build what was on the page. Then she packed up everything she owned in a shipping container and sent it back across the ocean she'd crossed four decades earlier with nothing more than a suitcase. And after 15 years of slowly building her dream, she finally moved into her home — not owing a soul a penny.

My mum didn't earn a lot of money, but she spoke life into her dream. She didn't ask for permission or for anyone to co-sign. Her home on the island of her birth was always real in her mind; it just had to take shape in a physical form. There was never any doubt that house — and a retirement in the sun — would exist.

So here's the thing: who are we to decide how things will turn out? Who are we to block our own blessings and defer our dreams? Sometimes the movie of your life that's playing on loop in your head is all the nudge you need — don't overthink it!

Here's an exercise I've tried, which you may find helpful to get out of the "well, I can't do that" space.

So over to you! What are you dreaming about that needs attention? If you’re navigating a dream around work and career, or a move of some description, drop me a line. One of the next Get Free Sessions will be on getting yourself together for your next steps - [email protected]

P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for the Digital Detox! One inbox, one hour - let’s get it cleaned up! Monday July 20 4-5pm Pacific. See you there!

🚀Get Your Life: Things to read, listen to, enjoy🚀

📖 What I’m reading: A little poetry that inspired this week’s title: Harlem by Langston Hughes.

🎧What’s on the pod: Wild Card with Rachel Martin. This episode with Tracee Ellis Ross is SO good (I actually caught the live taping of this.) It’s a smart concept: an interview show that’s determined by choosing card one, two or three. Surprising and touching all at once.

🎵 Soundtrack for the week: Staying with the theme of dreams, had to bring back this Nineties classic, Dreams Come True by the Brand New Heavies. TUNE!

✨ If you’ve got a recommendation, drop me a line at [email protected] and type “Tune” in the subject line ✨

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See you next week