What If the Mess Was the Miracle?

Living On Purpose When Life Feels Messy
By Stephanie | Five and a Half North Farm

Let’s be honest: life doesn’t always feel tidy.
Mine sure didn’t.

There was a season not long ago when I found myself standing in the middle of a life I had built, a successful business, a beautiful family, a home I loved, and yet, everything around me felt... messy.

Messy in the kind of way that life tends to get when it tests you.
When plans shift.
When people you love need you in ways you never saw coming.
When you’re not even sure what day it is because you’re giving all you’ve got just to keep moving.

Some of you know my story. For those who don’t, I spent 20 years building a business I poured my heart into. Eventually, I knew it was time to close that chapter and chase a new dream. We sold the schoolhouse we renovated and moved to a Christmas tree farm in Northern Michigan, feeling hopeful, excited, and with what I thought was a perfectly laid-out plan to build something new.

I truly believed that starting over would be easier the second time around. After all, I had experience, vision, and direction. But life had other plans. The smooth transition I had counted on didn’t last long. Not long after we arrived, my husband suffered a massive stroke that changed the course of everything. It cracked us wide open. Suddenly, nothing felt certain. The dream we’d just begun to build felt like it was shattered.

The truth is, nothing about that transition felt polished.
It was hard, it was real, and it was ours. 

Here’s what I’ve come to believe with every part of me:

You can still live on purpose when life is messy.
In fact, it might be the most important time to live intentionally.

Because sometimes, when everything falls apart, a new, stronger version of you takes shape that you might not even be aware of.

The Myth of the Perfect Starting Point

So many of us wait for the perfect moment to begin again.

We wait for the moment when we have more confidence, money, time, or energy.
But I’ve learned that waiting for the mess to clear means we might wait forever.

Intentional living isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass.
It’s about planting something beautiful right in the middle of it.

That’s what my book Cleaning Up My Dreams is really about.
Not just entrepreneurship, but becoming.
It’s about deciding that your dreams still matter, even when the foundation they were built on starts to crack.

Living With Purpose in the Middle of the Storm

Here’s what living intentionally looked like for me during the hardest seasons:

• Saying no to perfection, yes to presence.

• Choosing daily rituals that grounded me, such as enjoying morning coffee in silence, expressing gratitude for the beauty around me, and spending time in quiet meditation.

• Letting go of the business I once thought would define me, to make room for something new.

• Believing that our farm, Five and a Half North, could be more than just land, it could be a healing place, a space for growth, a return to what matters.

Intentional living doesn’t always look like vision boards, pretty planners, or the perfect photos on social media. 
Sometimes, it feels like crying in your car, staying in your pajamas, and watching cartoons just to laugh and be a kid again. Yet, still choosing to show up. (Yes, I have done that.)
It looks like packing boxes, holding your breath, and daring to believe in yourself when you can't see a clear path. 

A Life You Love Starts with One Brave Yes

Today, we’re building something different out here on the farm.
Through my book, my events, and the Wise Words Book Club, I’ve made it my mission to help others find meaning right where they are.

Because you don’t have to wait for the mess to clear to start living a life you love.
You just have to choose one intentional step at a time.

Start small.
Start scared.
But start.

Because living on purpose doesn’t mean having it all together.
It means waking up each day, looking life in the face, and saying:
“I’m still here. I’m still growing. And I’m not giving up.”

💛 If you’ve been in a messy season, I see you. You’re not alone. Come walk with me. Let’s build lives we love together.
Pick up a copy of Cleaning Up My Dreams here on Amazon https://a.co/d/5FaZDpk or join me on the farm at Home - Five and a Half North Farm to learn more about intentional living and follow my journey.