Shannon Smith shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Shannon, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I was afraid of how people viewed my progress. As I progressed in farming, gardening and all things home economics, I was concerned of how people responded to me. I was afraid that I’d lost my humility and tangibility. The pressure of growth can be suffocating when you are dragging the weight of people’s expectations. What killed my fear and allowed me to pursue this call with vigor and renewed excitement was The Lord giving me a second chance, Sometimes we forget that we have free will. In that free will you can choose to be whom The Lord delegated for you to be or you can be useless and a burden. I also noticed I was concerned about the opinion of people that never had to sacrifice what I’ve had to sacrifice. Then the reality hit that I’m closer to forty than I am thirty. I refuse to be in the same place. I refuse to be stagnant in my purpose to remain tangible. Greater expectations require greater changes and greater sacrifice. I never gave The Lord the room in my life to change me in a way where I was unrecognizable to myself but known by Him. I thought growth in your purpose meant staying relatable to immature people. The amount of people that I walked away from was staggering. It was then I realized that on judgement day, I will have to answer for not fulfilling my purpose and destiny. Now I am in the pursuit of all that I willing gave away with tax.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello there, welcome to the land of the living! Over here at The HomeLyfe Edit we like to focus on full time home making and part time business owning. The goals of The HomeLyfe Edit are simple, we want to focus on teaching home economics, gardening and farming. My husband and I also run SmittyCo. Farm as well as ShannonTy Interior Design Studio. All three brands centered around the home and how you live life in the home.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The older I get the more I’ve learned that when you leave something behind you have to bury it in an unmarked grave. No headstone! Why? I’m glad you asked: so that you cannot go back and dig up the old version. The main version of myself that I’ve had to release, bury in an unmarked grave is being a people pleaser with no boundaries. There are so many instances where I chose to placate unrealistic expectations that superseded my own interests.
On a visit to a local bookstore I prayed and asked for a book that would help me and wouldn’t you know it the book was named Boundaries. This book changed my world view chapter by chapter. It allowed me to see that God (Jesus/The Holy Spirit) was full of boundaries. It gave me scripture and real time application. The book was such a blessing to me, I bought the book several more times and gave them out as gifts. I also went on a super deep dive into all that Mr. Henry Cloud had to offer.
Upon learning that no boundaries allows for no structure, which creates an opportunity for missed opportunities. I began to implement changes that were necessary for my healing and growth. The response was overwhelming! Everyone that was use to using me wasn’t happy.
Quickly I learned that it is in my best interest to (Matt 8:22) follow Christ and let the dead bury their dead. The version of me that allowed you access to is no longer alive. Therefore the version that I am today has boundaries and hard no’s. Releasing my people pleasing was the best decision I could have ever made. I’ve saved so much money and I’ve gain more peace than I know what to do with sometimes.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There was a time that I felt so defeated about deciding to quit my high end interior design job. I was the senior interior designer and the company was downsizing which meant that I was expected to take on more responsibility while my pay would be cut in half. This was quite defeating. I loved the job, I loved the work and I love the people that I was working with. But to be told and not asked was more than I could handle. I felt so defeated and low because I didn’t feel like the owner respected our relationship enough to have a conversation. Not an expectation. This took the wind out of me. I didn’t want to garden, I didn’t want to work on my mini farm, nor did I want to workout. All the things that made me happy were gone. I was devastated. I’m finally rebounding from this devastation.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely the public version is the real version of me. Its too much work to be someone or something else. Trust me I’ve tried and its ghetto!
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
Cleaning requires no thinking for me. Cleaning allows me to process my emotions or pray. Whereas when I need a breakthrough I garden. I feel the most gratification when I am designing interiors. The most peaceful place I’ve found is in the presence of God honestly. There is nothing that helps my peace abound more than serving a living God.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @thl_thehomelife
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shannon.smith.605813/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHomeLife
Image Credits
Cedric McCray
PTP 357 Studio
