Can you actually Manifest Your Future?  Do your dreams and goals seem to be out of reach?  For many of us, we never feel like we are good enough to achieve much of anything.  We sometimes feel like it takes all of our energy to get out of bed and drag ourselves to a J-O-B.

But we are meant for so much more than that.  The world is a big, amazing place that is full of opportunity if we are willing to work for it, but we tell ourselves we can't do better, we couldn't do better and we don't deserve better....so we don't ever try.

Let's try to break that pattern and stinking thinking, shall we?

This week on ANT Live, Tom and Adam are going to talk about Dreams, Goals and How to Manifest Your Future.

Manifesting your future is an exciting and empowering process that combines clarity, intention, action, and belief. While it’s often associated with visualization and the Law of Attraction, the underlying principles of manifesting your dreams and goals are more about aligning your thoughts, emotions, and actions with the future you desire.

I am sure you are saying, "Sure, that sounds good and all, but how do you manifest your future?"

As I have gotten older, I realized from my own experience that it is possible to manifest your future.  You can achieve those dreams and goals, but the keys are aligning your thoughts, you actions and your focused intensity over time.  It is possible, especially when we understand the execute on the 9 steps for Manifesting Your Future.

I am sure Adam has a lot to say from his own experience. After all, he is manifesting his dream with each Farmer's Market and sale!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

How do you find your passion? Do you even know what your passion is?  If you know what your passion is, are you doing something that taps into that internal fire that lights you up?

Many of us have a skill, a talent, knowledge, experience, ability or product that we create or do without thinking about it. We have that secret something or interest that drives us and lights us up. Some of us take it to the next step and create a hobby out of that thing. Others tell us that we are "really good at that thing and could sell it or make a business out of it." Some of us take that step forward and create that business or follow that passion in our career.

There are others, however, that struggle with finding that thing. They don't seem to have that bright fire for one particular skill or thing.

In this episode, Adam and I are focusing on how to find our passion. We hope to answer the following questions:

• How can you discover your passion?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of following your passion?
• What are you willing to sacrifice for your passion?

Not everything is rose petals, rainbows and unicorns. The rose does have thorns, and there are some drawbacks of following your passion, and Adam and I will talk about those things as well.

 For links and show notes, head over to Small Scale Life Website!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

Tonight’s show is titled: "Boredom: A Path to Mindfulness and Innovation.”

When you are super busy, you don’t have time to let your mind wander and solve problems. You just don’t have capacity. The same can be said when you are holding on for dear life in Survival Mode. Having REGULAR downtime to dream, think and create is just what the doctor ordered, especially if you are stuck.

Think about it: what WAS Sir Isaac Newton doing while sitting under that apple tree? He was bored, and an apple dropped right on his head. VIOLA! Gravity was discovered!

Adam Rick and I will be covering this and a whole lot more on tonight’s show. We must discuss the results of the Halloween on Main Chili Contest in Dousman, WI. Who won? Who lost? What lessons were learned along the way?

OF COURSE, we’ll be THE BEST damn boring Livestream on YouTube you have ever seen.

ANT Live starts at 7:30 PM Central on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel on Monday.

For links and show notes, head over to https://smallscalelife.com.

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

In this 232nd Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Adam and I are discussing Side Hustles and the Gig Economy.  It seems like there is not enough money for the month at times. One way to make resources stretch is through side hustles and the gig economy.

It seems like there is not enough money for the month at times. One way to make resources stretch is through side hustles and the gig economy. We are essentially picking up second jobs to supplement regular incomes.

• If done right, these side hustles can turn into a full time small business.
  
• If done wrong, these side hustles can turn into a low wage, high expense death spiral.
  

We have to be careful and choose our side hustles wisely. Adam and I will talk about our observations and thoughts about side hustles and the gig economy. I got the feeling that Adam had some strong opinions about side hustles and the gig economy simply because he has his own business Modern Frontier Farms.

Take a listen and find out!

As always, remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that, my friends, is a good thing!

~ Tom

This live-stream is brought to you by A Modern Frontier Farms: https://www.amodernfrontier.com

Get all your pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken from A Modern Frontier Farms! Grass Fed; Grass Raised; 100% Delicious!

LINKS:

🌱Small Scale Life Website:
https://www.smallscalelife.com

🌱Small Scale Life Group on Facebook:
https://facebook.com/smallscalelife

🌱Small Scale Gardening Group on Facebook:
https://facebook.com/thesmallscalelifepodcast

🌱Small Scale Life Wellness Club Group on Facebook
https://facebook.com/smallscalelifewellnessclub

🌱Small Scale Life Telegram Chat Group
https://t.me/+X60kPSJ3bLY0YTUx

DISCLAIMER:

I am not a doctor, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or a therapist. I am not in or connected to the medical community. Always consult a professional before trying any of these activities or any practice.

Create and live your Small Scale Life at your own risk, but do it carefully and at your own risk. All actions you participate in are voluntary and at your own risk.

To see more about our wellness journey, gardens, homesteading adventures and interviews with some cool people, check out the Small Scale Life Podcast and our site at https://smallscalelife.com

Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

I stopped by Driftless Oaks Farm this week, and as I looked at the property, it hit me that it is a fast fading dream. I realized that I am turning the page and leaving the farm behind, and even though it sounds sad, this epiphany had to happen for me to move forward here at the Landing. In Episode 231, I discuss some observations, memories and epiphanies I had as I looked over the farmhouse, outbuildings and property.

It is no secret that moving to a farm/homestead was my dream. All you have to do is look back through the archive of Small Scale Life Podcast episodes, and you can see that I was working hard to move out of the city and move to Western Wisconsin. In fact, Julie and I looked at some properties in 2017 before moving from our rental house in St. Louis Park to North Minneapolis, Minnesota. The timing wasn't right until 20.

Eagle's Ridge

We purchased the Eagles Ridge property with a dream to build a house, garden and pole barn there. It was a 2 acre property on the Apple River just north of New Richmond, Wisconsin. We worked hard clearing buckthorn, prickly ash and honey suckle (all invasives) from the property and clearing the top of the ridge so we could see the river. We also cleared down by the water and put in a long switchback path down the 60-foot bluff from the top of the ridge to the river.

COVID, riots, and global shortages pushed the cost of building a home to astronomical heights, and we decided to pivot and go a different direction. Early one morning, Julie and I woke up early, and she convinced me to put Eagle's Ridge on a shelf and start to move on from that fading dream. It was not the right time to build a house.

Driftless Oaks Farm

Julie's brother in Texas was looking at homes and properties for us, and he found Driftless Oaks Farm. We took a look at the property and the price, and we fell in love with it. A major dream had been accomplished, and we couldn't wait to move in as soon as possible!

Not all that glitters is gold, however. We were overwhelmed by the amount of work there, and we also ran into a massive roadblock: the house. We bought the farm with the intention of hosting gatherings there with our family and friends. I even started planning homesteading gatherings at the farm where folks would come and listen to great homesteaders and gardeners talk about things that they were doing on their homesteads. Think Self-Reliance Festival in Maiden Rock, Wisconsin!

The house was small, and we found out that contractors were not keen on working with and adding on to a 1900-era house. The farmhouse was small, and it would have been difficult to add on to the house with the stone foundation in the front and cellar in the back. Contractors recommended bringing in a bulldozer and starting from scratch.

Did we have fading dreams once we did some diligence? Yes, absolutely. It happened fast on the farm, especially after major life events in 2022. After Danny passed away, we decided it was time to sell and move away from the little farm. We did not see how we could improve the farmhouse economically and make it work for us, so it was time to put it on the market and move forward.

This Week's Epiphany

When I stopped by the farm this week and observed it from the neighbor's hill, it suddenly occurred to me that the young man that purchased the property made some significant changes for the better. He had the creativity, audacity, tenacity and the network to make some things happen. I realized after looking at our little farm for a while that our farm life was one of many fading dreams, and it was time for me to turn the page and move on forever.

For links and show notes, head over to the Small Scale Life website at https:///smallscalelife.com.

Our topic this week on the Adam and Tom Live (ANT LIVE) is “Mindset and Milestones: Prepping for a Life Upgrade.”

Before you step out on that limb and begin a new venture, there needs to be a shift in your mindset as and your prep for a life upgrade. Starting a new job, new small business, a new project, going in a different direction or starting over again from scratch takes planning, preparation and execution.  A Life Upgrade IS a big deal and will change who you are and where you are going.  Trust me, I know!

There will be ups and downs along the way. Let me repeat that: there WILL be ups and downs along the way.

Prepping for the lows (and the highs) is very important. It can take time for things to come together and start to flow the right way. How do you get over those valleys and keep going? What can you do to soften the blows and damage from the inevitable setbacks and storms?

Adam started a small business and has been methodically building it over the past couple years. Julie and I ventured into the wild and tried our hands at homesteading on a small farm. One of us is still working on their dream; the other one pivoted and went in a different direction.

What worked? What didn't? What did they learn along the way?

A life upgrade is typically not easy and something that just happens overnight. A lot of planning and hard work are involved.  I mean, usually when change happens THAT fast, something dramtically good (winning the lottery) or dramatically bad has happened.  In my experience, it tends to be the later, and I wouldn't necessarily call that a "life upgrade." Serious illness, bankrupcy, job loss, financial ruin and death are definitely massive life changes, and those are not life upgrades.  Maybe once you walk through that dark valley and climb out on the other side, something good can happen, but again: it takes a lot of planning, hard work, help and therapy to get out of the pit.

For this discussion, we are focusing on the mindset, milestones and prepping for a POSITIVE life upgrade.  We'll descend into the valley in a future show for you cannot have light without the dark, and that discussion is very important as well.  This is all part of the inward journey of our Small Scale Life. Do not fear the darkness because it reminds us of how good the light can be and feel.

The ANT Live Show is on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel every Monday night at 7:30 PM Central. For links and show notes, head over to Small Scale Life website at https:///smallscalelife.com.

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

In Episode 229 of the Small Scale Life Podcast, my friend Adam Rick joins me as we discuss the importance of getting away on a short vacation or short trip.

Both Adam and I went away this weekend. One of us had a get-away with his spouse; the other had a get-away with his son and friends (and their sons) on a fishing trip.

There are a lot of benefits to getting away for the weekend. We’ll talk about those, and maybe we’ll have some funny stories along the way. We'll also talk about Adam's livestock, my garden, maybe pass a recipe and discuss new things, skills or efforts we are trying this week.

As always, remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing!

~ Tom

LINKS:

This live-stream is brought to you by A Modern Frontier Farms: https://www.amodernfrontier.com

Get all your pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken from A Modern Frontier Farms! Grass Fed; Grass Raised; 100% Delicious!

🌱Small Scale Life Website: https://www.smallscalelife.com

DISCLAIMER:

I am not a doctor, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or a therapist. I am not in or connected to the medical community. Always consult a professional before trying any of these activities or any practice.

Create and live your Small Scale Life at your own risk, but do it carefully and at your own risk. All actions you participate in are voluntary and at your own risk.

To see more about our wellness journey, gardens, homesteading adventures and interviews with some cool people, check out the Small Scale Life Podcast and our site at https://smallscalelife.com

Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

In this 228th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I had a chance to catch up with Adam Rick from Modern Frontier Farms in Dousman, Wisconsin. At the same time, Adam and I are kicking off a new Livestream on the Small Scale Life YoutTube Channel on Monday nights at 7:30 PM Central. This is the audio from that first show.

Adam Rick is my brother from another mother and owner/creator of Modern Frontier Farms in Dousman, Wisconsin. Adam lost his HVAC job a couple years ago, and with the support of his lovely wife Lisa, Adam started Modern Frontier Farms, a grass fed, pasture fed small meat business. Adam works in conjunction with a local cooperative of Amish farmers, Wautoma Family of Farms, and along with other regional producers. Adam and is partners are producing animals that are raised the way nature intended.

The meat is fantastic, and I will have a chance to reintroduce Adam to the Small Scale Life Community, talk about this business and talk about what we are planning to do with a regular livestream on Small Scale Life.

As always, remember to learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing!

~ Tom

LIVE STREAM SPONSOR:

Brought to you by A Modern Frontier Farms: https://www.amodernfrontier.com

Get all your pasture-raised beef, pork and chicken from Adam at Modern Frontier Farms. Grass Fed; Grass Raised; 100% Delicious!

LINKS:

🌱Small Scale Life Website: https://www.smallscalelife.com

🌱Small Scale Life Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/4raJ4B...

🌱Small Scale Gardening Group on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/share/dua9Po...

🌱Small Scale Life Wellness Club Group on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/rd2j...

🌱Small Scale Life Telegram Chat Group
https://t.me/+X60kPSJ3bLY0YTUx

DISCLAIMER:

I am not a doctor, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or a therapist. I am not in or connected to the medical community. Always consult a professional before trying any of these activities or any practice.

Create and live your Small Scale Life at your own risk, but do it carefully and at your own risk. All actions you participate in are voluntary and at your own risk.

To see more about our wellness journey, gardens, homesteading adventures and interviews with some cool people, check out the Small Scale Life Podcast and our site at https://smallscalelife.com

Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday. And that’s a good thing!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

In this 227th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Tom discusses 9 Types of Garden Fertilizers and How to Use Them. Tom has tried different methods to improve plant growth in his gardens over the years, and he shares his experience and "recipes" with you.

This is intended to be a high level discussion of different fertilizers including Miracle Grow, Mittleider Method Micro-Nutrients, Used Coffee Ground Tea, Epsom Salt Tea, Comfrey Tea, Stinging Nettle Tea, Compost Tea, Worm Casting Tea and Fish Emulsion Tea. Obviously this is just scratching the surface on garden fertilizers, and there are other products and methods that folks have used to successfully grow healthy plants and have excellent harvests. Feel free to add your methods to the conversation by sending an email to him at [email protected].

For links and "recipes," head on over to the Small Scale Website at https://smallscalelife.com.

In this 226th episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast Tom discusses four garden failures in the 2024 Season, why he suspects these plants are failing and how he plans to change things up to make more productive self-watering garden beds. Yes....Tom just built the garden ion June 2024, and yes, he is going to make some changes already! Listen to find out more.

For more information about Gardening and Small Scale Life, head over to our website at https://smallscalelife.com!

In this 225th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I recorded a video and audio while I was IN the garden, so this is truly a garden chat with your lovable host Tom.  In this episode, I discuss the garden build project including the fencing, the border, mulch, gates, Wicking Bed Planters and Hybrid Rain Gutter Grow System Planters.  I talk about cabbage worms eating my broccoli, how my peppers really stink this year and how my tomatoes, zucchini and basil are stars of the garden. 

Towards the very end of the episode, I talk about Driftless Oaks Farm and provide some advice about where to buy land or a homestead based on our own experience at Driftless Oaks Farm.  While it didn’t work out as expected for us, it might be different for you.  I would highly recommend that you think long and hard and look long and closely at any property before purchasing it.  We got caught up in the idea and excitement, and fortunately the gods smiled upon us.

While we podcasting types typically obsess about audio quality, there is something neat about this recording.  It is imperfect: there are chickadees chirping, the green heron squawking, planes flying, traffic driving by, Julie talking to a friend, kids chattering as they walk down the street in front of our house and a passing train heading from the Twin Cities to Stevens Point, Wisconsin.  

This is life in a small town in America in 2024.  This is how it should be.  We are part of this community, and these things are just part of our life here now.  We can be perfectly imperfect because that is what we are.

And that, my friends, is a GOOD thing.