We choose to share our Butterfly Manifesto in the hope that others find it useful!

These are not just cliches that we pulled out of a book or from a two minute Google search. Each sentence and word has meaning and forms the holistic approach to the lifestyle we choose to define.

Some sentences may resonate with you on a deep level – perhaps you’ve heard or thought them yourself at some point – while others will not. That’s fine. Each person is entitled to their own way of life and philosophy about living.

The Love & Lavender Butterfly Manifesto

The butterfly is considered as a symbol for the soul;
Accept and embrace change throughout life’s journey

• Love your spouse unconditionally and be each others best friend. You only want the best for your friend and would do anything for them.
• Each relationship is special: Don’t sacrifice one over another. Give each person the respect, trust, and attention they deserve.
• Value your time as a precious asset. Guard it more carefully than you would money, more than material goods. Money can be made, time is gone forever.
• Don’t let fear or other people hold you back from doing what every fiber of your being tells you is the right path.
• Be confident in your unique skills and abilities.
• Don’t worry too much about the future or regret the past:
  • Live a life true to yourself, not the life others expect of you
  • Don’t work so hard for there is always more todo
  • Call your old friends
  • Let yourself be happy

• Nourish your soul.
• Keep your purpose in life at the forefront of your mind and work towards it everyday.
• Don’t feel guilty about taking time for yourself each day.
• Remember your youth and the things you used to do as a 10 year old. Do them again.
• Laugh often. Cry when needed.
• Jealousy is tortuous. Be proud of others and their accomplishments.
• Inspire through your true authentic self.
• Leadership is selfless support of others without the expectation of gain.
• Live within your means in all facets of life.
• Give compliments endlessly.
• Always use the most powerful phrase in any language: thank you!

Why Create a Manifesto?

Meredith and I had talked on and off for the better part of a year about defining, ‘What Love & Lavender means to us and to others.’ It is a difficult thought process to put words to paper and actually publish your most deeply rooted beliefs and values.

How We Created our Manifesto

I awoke one morning in early October, 2015 with an unusual amount of energy and enthusiasm to start the creative work day. One aspect of running your own online business that I both love and loath at the same time is having the freedom to direct your time however you see fit. It is extremely powerful to be the director of your own life, but sometimes it also becomes overwhelming.

Our goal for the morning was to capture the creative energy and direct it at something that has been a long time coming: the creation of The Love & Lavender Butterfly Manifesto.

As I sat at my computer about to put our thoughts down on paper, we both hesitated. Where do we start?

I scoured the dark recesses of my mind trying to remember all the pithy and fashionable one-off statements about life, love, and business that I could remember. A song I always liked from my late 1990s university days, a book written by the founder of Clif Bars, or a T-Shirt slogan that stuck in my memory.

In the end, we turned to a trusted friend named Google for help.

Google Doesn’t Have All the Answers – Gasp!

We identified with some things that one writer said, and other statements from different corporate manifestos that we found online. Ultimately, we came to realize that there is no right or wrong answer. The process is equally as important as what you put down on paper.

Someone else cannot tell you how to live your authentic life, only you can.

We simply talked to each other about the life we live today, where we want to be in the near future, what tenants and values we prescribe to as a couple, and the essence of what we wanted to capture as the heart and spirit of not only our businesses, but ourselves.

We were mentally exhausted by the end. It takes a lot out of you to think about the deep meaning and purpose of your individual life, what it means to create a married union as a whole, and then how to define a business philosophy that aligns with both of those things.

Nonetheless, that day my whole self was aligned with what had to get done.

Our initial draft stems from the intense discussion and thought processes that are ingrained into both of us after having lived for 35+ years on this planet. That doesn’t mean we can’t or won’t change it at some point. It is a living document to be revised and tweaked in the coming years.