fbpx

The Falsehood of Definitions

The Falsehood of Definitions

There’s a presentation I do at writing conferences called “Success, Failure, and Other Myths of the Writing Life.” People get so caught up in words like “success” and “failure” and their perceived meanings.

No one would argue that Hemingway was a success, but he also took his own life, so what does success really mean if that’s where it leads you? Commercial “success” does not erase pain.

Plenty of other success stories (from Harper Lee to JK Rowling) have struggled with feelings of failure. The literary greats you revere? They probably also felt feelings of failure at times. We can’t let definitions of these pin us into a corner. They are not absolute.

I was talking once with some friends of ours who really served as a model for us when we entered the world of parenting. We loved how they interacted with their kids. Our instincts were good because now their kids are grown and they are phenomenal people.

When their kids were young, I was talking to the dad and he expressed his frustration with people always asking kids, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” And the answer was always to focus on a career. Astronaut, football player, actress, baker.

The dad said, “Instead of being invested in what job a kid will work toward, how about focusing on what really matters? How about letting kids know that when they grow up, what we really want them to BE is happy, healthy, and kind?”

That conversation has always stuck with me and it’s a great example of re-examining the conventions of society and the definitions that get drilled into us.

“Happy, healthy, and kind” sounds like a legitimate recipe for “success” to me.

Join The Community!

Join our Facebook GroupJoin the quest for “The Sweet Life.”  Request access to our Facebook Group.  Let’s learn from each other!  GO HERE

Free Audio Book Download

Full Unabridged Audio Book “Vagabonding With Kids” by AK Turner!  GO HERE

Take The SWEET LIFE Assessment

See how you score? Identify your strengths. Discover areas in your life you want to improve. GO HERE.

Giving Back

Amanda and Mike launched an Impact Club in their hometown of Boise, Idaho in 2017, and have had a blast gathering like-minded individuals, families, and organizations to make significant impact in our community, raising over $200,000 locally and over $1.5 million nationally.  

Join Our Next Monthly CHALLENGE

Every month Amanda and Mike pick a month-long challenge that pushes us out of our comfort zone so we can grow, learn, and become better versions of ourselves.  Sometimes we design our own unique challenge and other times we join pre-established challenges. Email us to find out about our next upcoming challenge. Us@BusinessofUs.com

About Us

Our Story | Mike and Amanda TurnerWe are Mike and Amanda Turner, founders of “The Business of Us.” We are fierce advocates of helping entrepreneurial couples and families improve their lives, livelihoods, and legacies… READ MORE

Family Camp

Family Camp

​Wait. Writers Camp, Couples Camp, and now Family Camp? We’ll, we’re kicking around the idea.

We have many friends who would love to attend Couples Camp (and whom we’d love to have join us), but they have young children whom they aren’t comfortable leaving with other caretakers.

So we began researching US-based locations for Family Camp. And of course, we want to go big. We’re talking pool, hot tub, water slide, ping-pong, video games, pool table, horseshoes, electronic dart board, a tennis court, all adjacent to a river for kayaking, inner tubes, and paddleboards.

We’re not looking at a single large ho

use, but a private property with multiple buildings so everyone has their own space. We want enough room so that families can bring their kids and maybe even a niece or nephew if they so choose.

We might have found the perfect location (pictured below) and we’re toying with booking it for a long weekend (so kids miss no more than a day or two

of school) in October and/or March. It would accommodate 4 or 5 families – parents who want to have an unforgettable experience with their kids, but also enjoy a bit of time to themselves while they kids have the run of the property. Like all of our retreats, all meals, drinks, and recreation would be included.

Accompanying Image to Amanda Turner's article 'Family Camp'

We’re still talking. We’re still running the numbers.

But we’re leaning toward pulling the trigger. Because we know, without a doubt, that Family Camp would be an absolute blast.

What do you think?

Join The Community!

Join our Facebook GroupJoin the quest for “The Sweet Life.”  Request access to our Facebook Group.  Let’s learn from each other!  GO HERE

Free Audio Book Download

Full Unabridged Audio Book “Vagabonding With Kids” by AK Turner!  GO HERE

Take The SWEET LIFE Assessment

See how you score? Identify your strengths. Discover areas in your life you want to improve. GO HERE.

Giving Back

Amanda and Mike launched an Impact Club in their hometown of Boise, Idaho in 2017, and have had a blast gathering like-minded individuals, families, and organizations to make significant impact in our community, raising over $200,000 locally and over $1.5 million nationally.  

Join Our Next Monthly CHALLENGE

Every month Amanda and Mike pick a month-long challenge that pushes us out of our comfort zone so we can grow, learn, and become better versions of ourselves.  Sometimes we design our own unique challenge and other times we join pre-established challenges. Email us to find out about our next upcoming challenge. Us@BusinessofUs.com

About Us

Our Story | Mike and Amanda TurnerWe are Mike and Amanda Turner, founders of “The Business of Us.” We are fierce advocates of helping entrepreneurial couples and families improve their lives, livelihoods, and legacies… READ MORE

Compounding Benefits

Compounding Benefits

​Mike and I are more than halfway through our 4th month of GRIT. We’ve done 4 consecutive months of these challenges – daily physical exercises followed by writing prompts, the results of which are shared within the private GRIT group.

We are also approaching the halfway mark of another alcohol-free period, which I like to think of as: 4 Weeks of Love for Your Liver.

I’d like to say that all of this has resulted in a bikini body, but that’s not the case. I’m actually okay with that. I’ve built muscle, endurance, and trimmed *some* fat.

But the biggest benefit to focusing on my physical health is, hands down, the benefit to my mental and emotional health.

Exercising in the morning sets the rest of the day up to be both positive and productive.

Taking a break (at least a few weeks) from unhealthy products, whether that’s alcohol and/or sugar and/or processed foods, is liberating and rejuvenating.

Better sleep, more energy, greater clarity – all of these are gifts which we are capable of giving ourselves.

Everyone knows I’m no health nut. I’m not an exercise fanatic. But by making a few small changes here and there, I can engineer my physical health in a way that benefits my mental and emotional health, as well. It’s a win/win… win… win. (That’s 4 wins: physical, mental, emotional, and I threw in a 4th for the money you save when you take a break from alcohol and/or crap food).

The biggest struggle I see in those around me is the fight for time. We can’t buy more of it. It’s relentless in its passing. We all want more, feel we need more, but we can’t GET more.

The beauty in doing something good for your overall health is that it takes little to no time. Giving up alcohol allows you to make more of the time you have. GRIT workouts take as little as 12 minutes.

Being good to yourself feels good. It also negates any guilt you might otherwise feel when you choose to splurge. Work hard. Play hard.

Here’s to your health.

Join The Community!

Join our Facebook GroupJoin the quest for “The Sweet Life.”  Request access to our Facebook Group.  Let’s learn from each other!  GO HERE

Free Audio Book Download

Full Unabridged Audio Book “Vagabonding With Kids” by AK Turner!  GO HERE

Take The SWEET LIFE Assessment

See how you score? Identify your strengths. Discover areas in your life you want to improve. GO HERE.

Giving Back

Amanda and Mike launched an Impact Club in their hometown of Boise, Idaho in 2017, and have had a blast gathering like-minded individuals, families, and organizations to make significant impact in our community, raising over $200,000 locally and over $1.5 million nationally.

Join Our Next Monthly CHALLENGE

Every month Amanda and Mike pick a month-long challenge that pushes us out of our comfort zone so we can grow, learn, and become better versions of ourselves.  Sometimes we design our own unique challenge and other times we join pre-established challenges. Email us to find out about our next upcoming challenge. Us@BusinessofUs.com

About Us

Our Story | Mike and Amanda TurnerWe are Mike and Amanda Turner, founders of “The Business of Us.” We are fierce advocates of helping entrepreneurial couples and families improve their lives, livelihoods, and legacies… READ MORE

The Trials of Travel

The Trials of Travel

The other day I wrote about tag-team parenting and how important it is to trade off the parenting duties, especially when we travel. Otherwise, we might just go crazy.

Right now we’re in Mexico living in a tiny space – two bedrooms and a bathroom that we share with our daughters. On Monday we’re moving into an even tinier space – one bedroom and a bathroom. Some people would see this as a recipe for disaster.

But in all of our travels over the past decade, we’ve spent a lot of time together in cramped quarters and we know how to make it work.

Part of it is respecting the fact that everyone needs their own time and space. Not just the adults, but also the kids. My twelve-year-old deserves an hour to read by herself just as much as I do.

We also work as a team. It’s not about keeping score. We help each other out and recognize that you only get what you’re willing to give.

And we understand that not everyone needs to do everything. Yesterday Mike took the girls to the beach while I stayed back and finished up some work. This may seem like I got the short end of the stick, but I preferred to work (and, honestly, I don’t love the beach like the rest of my family does – it’s just so… sandy). Everyone got what they wanted.

That isn’t to say that everything is smooth sailing. During every trip, someone needs something from a pharmacy. We’ve had canceled flights and jellyfish stings, car accidents and no running water. These are trials by themselves, compounded when we’re far from home and living in small spaces.

By exercising patience, teamwork, and mutual respect, we’re able to come through with our sanity intact.

Join The Community!

Join our Facebook GroupJoin the quest for “The Sweet Life.”  Request access to our Facebook Group.  Let’s learn from each other!  GO HERE

Free Audio Book Download

Full Unabridged Audio Book “Vagabonding With Kids” by AK Turner!  GO HERE

Take The SWEET LIFE Assessment

See how you score? Identify your strengths. Discover areas in your life you want to improve. GO HERE.

Giving Back

Amanda and Mike launched an Impact Club in their hometown of Boise, Idaho in 2017, and have had a blast gathering like-minded individuals, families, and organizations to make significant impact in our community, raising over $200,000 locally and over $1.5 million nationally.  

Join Our Next Monthly CHALLENGE

Every month Amanda and Mike pick a month-long challenge that pushes us out of our comfort zone so we can grow, learn, and become better versions of ourselves.  Sometimes we design our own unique challenge and other times we join pre-established challenges. Email us to find out about our next upcoming challenge. Us@BusinessofUs.com

About Us

Our Story | Mike and Amanda TurnerWe are Mike and Amanda Turner, founders of “The Business of Us.” We are fierce advocates of helping entrepreneurial couples and families improve their lives, livelihoods, and legacies… READ MORE

The Discomfort Zone

The Discomfort Zone

I’m currently in Mexico with my husband and two daughters. Ivy, my ten-year-old, has spent a considerable part of this trip in her discomfort zone.

It started with a girls-only bike ride. Ivy was by far the youngest participant in our group of nine bikers, organized by my mother-in-law, who wanted the girls of our group to have a fun day out together.

The trip began at a bike shop in town where three generations were outfitted with bikes and helmets.

We rode through Todos Santos and then out to a desert trail that took us a few miles until we reached Punto Lobos. There were hills, deep crevices in the dry earth, and places where sand or gravel threatened to induce crashes.

The trip was described ahead of time as not too difficult. It would be challenging, but not too bad.

This all depends on your starting point. For me, the ride was a tad scary at times but certainly manageable.

For Ivy, it was a different experience. At ten, she was unable to keep up with her older sister and cousins, who rode far ahead. It was also her first experience using a bike with gears and hand brakes. Add in difficult terrain on top of that and she had a ride spent mostly in tears.

But she made it.

Yesterday I took my daughters to an art class here in town. We were given canvases and taught how to sketch facial proportions. We mixed acrylics and learned how to blend flesh tones. It was far more advanced than I’d anticipated.

It was a three-hour class. After the first hour and a half of Ivy’s tears, I thought about giving up and having Mike pick us up early.

Instead, we stayed.

During the last hour of the class, Ivy learned to let go of the quest for perfection and simply experiment. By the end of it, she was even having fun.

She’s had some new and challenging experiences on this trip. She’s had a lot of tears.

But if we had given up and turned back during the bike trip, she would have walked away believing that “I can’t do it” is true. Instead, she saw it through to the end and now knows that while it might be hard, she is absolutely capable.

If we’d given up on the acrylics lesson, she’d never have reached the state of enjoyment. Again, she’d have walked away believing that “I can’t do it” is true.

In both instances, it was difficult for Ivy. It was also difficult for me trying to help her get through them. But I was so glad that we both persevered instead of throwing in the towel.

It’s not always fun being in the discomfort zone, but it leads to growth and confidence. And that’s certainly not something we ever grow out of. It’s as applicable to me at forty-three as it is to my ten-year-old.

What we both need to remember is that sometimes we’ll need help to get through those times. And sometimes we’ll be in a position to help those around us.

Join The Community!

Join our Facebook GroupJoin the quest for “The Sweet Life.”  Request access to our Facebook Group.  Let’s learn from each other!  GO HERE

Free Audio Book Download

Full Unabridged Audio Book “Vagabonding With Kids” by AK Turner!  GO HERE

Take The SWEET LIFE Assessment

See how you score? Identify your strengths. Discover areas in your life you want to improve. GO HERE.

Giving Back

Amanda and Mike launched an Impact Club in their hometown of Boise, Idaho in 2017, and have had a blast gathering like-minded individuals, families, and organizations to make significant impact in our community, raising over $200,000 locally and over $1.5 million nationally.  

Join Our Next Monthly CHALLENGE

Every month Amanda and Mike pick a month-long challenge that pushes us out of our comfort zone so we can grow, learn, and become better versions of ourselves.  Sometimes we design our own unique challenge and other times we join pre-established challenges. Email us to find out about our next upcoming challenge. Us@BusinessofUs.com

About Us

Our Story | Mike and Amanda TurnerWe are Mike and Amanda Turner, founders of “The Business of Us.” We are fierce advocates of helping entrepreneurial couples and families improve their lives, livelihoods, and legacies… READ MORE

Our Experience With The GRIT Challenge

Our Experience With The GRIT Challenge

Amanda and I are in the middle of our 5th month of doing GRIT, which is prescribed daily workouts that differ each day of the week. When we first started them, we didn’t think our bodies would be able to handle everyday workouts, and we were super worried about the time commitment.

But here we are, still doing daily GRIT workouts, and the transformation of what bodies can do now compared with what we could do when we started is shocking. 

There is a time commitment to doing GRIT, (typically 15-35 minutes), but far less than going to exercise classes or a gym, because we do everything from our home. When there is a running day, we typically jog around the neighborhood. 

But the most significant difference between GRIT and other exercise programs is the community built within it. You get assigned to a team, and you have to report to them and the entire group each day of how your workout went, as well as some additional context based on a daily prompt/affirmation.

What happens in these conditions is that you get to see and witness the full scope of the pain, hardship, grit, transformation, and triumph from your team members and the entire group doing the challenge.

You see the perspective of people in their 60’s and 70’s of why they are doing this and how they inspire others. And those who have battled their weight for years put in the work, day after day, and for the first time in years are not only losing weight but seeing their confidence soaring.

When you report to a team each day, they see the good, bad, and the ugly because we all have tough days. Sometimes our bodies are stiff and sore and don’t want to move, some days we are just so exhausted from the daily drama of work, and other days you see people struggling with the relationships within their home. Despite all that, they still get their workout done because the team is relying on them, and they made a commitment to themselves to get through the challenge.

GRIT has the highest accountability metrics I’ve ever seen for an exercise regime. Because if you fail to report in full each day, you are booted from the challenge until the next month. Seriously. There are no excuses.

We’ve had people on vacation in Bali doing their workouts each day on the beach and in airports on their way back. 

In the first month, we lost only two people out of 60, which probably is the most shocking part. The extreme accountability and team support helped so many people get through it.

The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th month was the same. Nearly everyone made it through this tough challenge while maintaining their busy lives. Just when you think you have it tough, you see someone in the challenge experiencing something much worse. We get through the challenge together.

This is why I believe the GRIT challenge will continue to grow. It’s near impossible to find this level of overall improvement across a group of people. I’m very excited to be a part of this new movement.

If you want in on next month’s challenge, fill out the form on this website: http://BusinessofUs.com/go/GRIT

I can’t tell you what the daily workouts will be. They change every month. I can only tell you it won’t be easy. There are modifications for just about every fitness level and condition. But even with those modifications, expect it to be hard. 

Reach out to me if you have any questions. 

If you keep thinking about it, you might never do it. Just rip the band-aid off and commit to investing in yourself right now. Sign up with the rest of the GRIT community and me right now before you talk yourself out it. 

http://BusinessofUs.com/go/GRIT

Cheers to doing hard things that make us better.

Join The Community!

Join our Facebook GroupJoin the quest for “The Sweet Life.”  Request access to our Facebook Group.  Let’s learn from each other!  GO HERE

Free Audio Book Download

Full Unabridged Audio Book “Vagabonding With Kids” by AK Turner!  GO HERE

Take The SWEET LIFE Assessment

See how you score? Identify your strengths. Discover areas in your life you want to improve. GO HERE.

Giving Back

Amanda and Mike launched an Impact Club in their hometown of Boise, Idaho in 2017, and have had a blast gathering like-minded individuals, families, and organizations to make significant impact in our community, raising over $200,000 locally and over $1.5 million nationally.

Join Our Next Monthly CHALLENGE

Every month Amanda and Mike pick a month-long challenge that pushes us out of our comfort zone so we can grow, learn, and become better versions of ourselves.  Sometimes we design our own unique challenge and other times we join pre-established challenges. Email us to find out about our next upcoming challenge. Us@BusinessofUs.com

About Us

Our Story | Mike and Amanda TurnerWe are Mike and Amanda Turner, founders of “The Business of Us.” We are fierce advocates of helping entrepreneurial couples and families improve their lives, livelihoods, and legacies… READ MORE

Pin It on Pinterest