Disclosure: If you purchase a product through any of the links in this post, I receive a small commission from Amazon.
Fair warning that I am having a dark day despite it being bright and sunny outside. In fact, the bright sunniness makes the inner darkness worse. I hate when people say things like "how can you be depressed when it's so beautiful outside?" Please, if you say that sort of thing to someone who tells you they're feeling depressed, STOP! It doesn't help.
And now, on with the show.
An important goal that I’m going to achieve:
I don't know if this will happen or not, but there is an empty building across the street from my home which is zoned for commercial use. I will be able to access my 401K without penalty at 59, in other words, about four years from now. If the building is still available at that point, I am thinking about investing in it and bringing my idea to life.
"It won't be available then, Cie," you are probably saying. "Real estate goes fast!"
In the city, yes. Not out in the middle of nowhere. The house I'm currently living in had been empty since 2013.
"Well, what the hell do you think you're going to do with a building in the middle of nowhere, Cie?" you say now.
I am thinking about opening a goat yoga studio.
"Goat yoga?" you sniff. "Who the hell is going to drive to your stupid goat yoga studio in the middle of nowhere?"
As my son observed when I postulated that I could probably pull in a few yuppies from Denver to drive out to Podunk on weekends for a goat yoga session:
"Denver? You mean Boulder."
He's right.
"Oh, and are you going to teach yoga, you disabled lardass? Who would want to take a class from you?"
No, I'm not, because I don't know the first thing about teaching yoga. I plan to put out a call for volunteer instructors, who would be allowed to record their sessions, pass out business cards, recruit people to sign up for their regular classes, and have a tip jar available.
By the way, a big rule at my studio will be this:
NO BODY SHAMING!
No fat-shaming.
No thin praising.
No encouragement of weight loss. No selling weight loss programs.
I want to provide an encouraging environment for every body. I want my studio to operate with a
Health at Every Size (and every ability) approach.
Why this goal is important to me:
Most yoga classes shame larger students, behaving as if a literal monster just walked into the room when a big person comes in. It is also difficult for disabled students to find a class. I want the classes at my studio to encourage EVERY BODY, regardless of size or physical ability.
Why goat yoga?
Well, for those who have never heard of it, goat yoga is actually a thing. The presence of the goats is shown to have a calming and encouraging effect on those participating in the class. The goats won't have to learn the yoga poses. They'll be free to wander in and out of the classroom. And if a participant spends the entire session just playing with the goats, that's perfectly fine! Basically, the goats are therapy animals.
What has been preventing me from taking the first step?
Lack of access to funds.
How can I remove these obstacles or work around them?
Currently, I'm just waiting for four years and hoping nobody buys the place in the meantime. I also have a potential secondary site in mind.
The first step I am going to take toward achieving my goal:
I am currently making micro-investments with my small and undependable pay. I am hoping these will start generating passive income. I am also trying to promote my freelance literary services, as well as continuing to do reviews. I am going to apply to Kirkus Reviews at the beginning of next year in the hopes of bringing in another income stream.
For support and accountability, I am going to share my goal with:
My son knows, and now you all do too.
I feel better after writing this post. Sending positive energy to Lauren for the gift of her workbook, to Linda for the gift of Health at Every Size which helped me break out of the diet mindset almost 10 years ago, and to Caroline for the encouragement not to fall back into that limiting mindset.
Here are a couple more books to help you say FUCK YOU to diet culture and instead concentrate on REAL health, both mental and physical.
