Creating An Online Course
I am sitting here in my tiny bedroom office thinking about how much my life is about to change and how this online course is going to facilitate it. I am mulling over the statement “You can’t have something for nothing” while drinking the piping hot cuppa my 11 year old son just brought me. My life has been in a constant state of unknown these past few years. I’ve been working hard to sustain the garden, animals and homeschooling we so enjoy here on this homestead. After walking through a divorce last spring I continued to pursue my herbal business, Esthers Eden. I put a large amount of the remaining strength I had into the business. Praying and hoping it would be a success. The business took hit after hit and I was left in the wake trying to figure things out. I didn’t have a college degree. I didn’t major in business or have any tech savvy knowledge waiting in my back pocket. It’s just me. The woman who dreamed of living a simple life while raising her children. The woman who grew up on a shabby farm just trying to survive daily life.
I don’t believe for a second people are stuck in their situations. There are plenty of success stories of people who made themselves millionaires, pulled themselves up out of the muck and mire and were determined to change their lives for the better. I believe each of us has this ability within ourselves to be our best selves. To bring something great to this earth while we are blessed to walk upon it. If we shift our focus to gratefulness the load we bear becomes lighter and we end up wanting what we have and having what we want. The question I have been pondering is what do I want?
I’ve spent much of my years on this earth living in what many would call poor. I chosen to focus my eyes on being grateful for the things I do have and not paying much mind to the things I don’t have. This mindset has given me the ability to thrive during difficult times. I have learned to be creative and to make the most out of what I have. I’ve built rickety little pens for my critters out of materials laying around, silly little craft projects for my kids out of things I had on hand and found free things that provide us with respites from the farm life. Most of the time I don’t even notice the things I have given up in order to live a debt free life. The freedom I experience daily because I don’t have debt collectors calling or tons of bills stressing me out is extraordinary. The even more astonishing thing is that I’ve made it this far into being single and still kept that debt free status. Now I certainly cannot take the credit - that truly goes to God… the ways He has blessed me, well I could probably fill an entire book with accounts. But this is about how I am moving forward so let’s get back onto that train of thought shall we?
I have to admit I do seem to take the more difficult routes in life… okay fine. I do things the hard way. A LOT. But you know what? I always thought this was a negative thing. Something to be ashamed of, but it’s not. Hard things are worth doing. The blessings that are found in the deep waters are not for everyone. They are for the people who are willing to go out there and get them. The ones who are willing to risk it all and go after that thing. That thing that is so valuable it’s worth the risk. A friend recently sent me this text:
“ When I lived in Hawaii and was being taught how to surf, this guy that was teaching me said the hardest part of surfing is the paddle. You paddle and paddle like crazy and sometimes the waves come in and wash over you one after another, and it’s almost impossible to even catch your breath. It’s terrible. It’s called “getting worked".” You feel like you’re never going to catch a break in the constant waves coming toward you. But then you do… and it’s glorious.”
This is exactly what my life has felt like these past few years. Paddling and paddling and paddling… “getting worked”. I can’t even begin to tell you the amount of times I’ve wanted to give up and a text like this would come in or someone would stop me and give me some encouragement or a sign that I just needed to keep going. These moments are so beautiful to me. I wish I could collect them in a jar and keep them on the dresser to look at as a reminder… but they are like the manna given to the jewish people in the Bible…. daily… you can’t keep more than you need and they don’t last longer that you need them. Absolutely lovely.
One of these give up moments was last December when I could no longer make and sell elderberry syrup. I have to tell you that was devastating news. I loved selling syrup and hearing how much people loved it and how it helped their families get through times of illness. I prayed and asked God to please show me the path forward. What was my next step? I felt so strongly that I needed to step away from syrup sales and not purse certification. It didn’t make a lot of sense to me at the time… technically I had a way to make it work… but it wasn’t the right thing. So I waited and prayed some more. The answer came…
Build an online course. Teach people about elderberry syrup. How to make it. How to grow it. The works.
“Uh… God?” I said
“You know who you are talking to right?” “It’s me, Esther… you know the girl who drinks tea and loves plants… um I don’t even know where to begin”
He didn’t even answer He just overwhelmed me with His peace and I knew what I needed to do. I felt Him smiling.
That was six months ago now. I’ve spent the past months learning so much. I researched. I compiled all my knowlege and experience on elderberries. I can’t even count the number of times I went to Mr. Google for help. At last this course Elderberry: Nature’s Medicine Chest, is ready for you my friend. I shared it with a few close friends - eh hem… you know you’ve chosen your friends well if they are not afraid to tell you about your mistakes hahaha. A few of my friends have excellent editing skills agreed to go through the course before you to work out the kinks… I am so thankful for their help.
This takes me back to the question, what is it I want? The answer? I want to provide value to people. I want to share encouragement and inspiration and light. Money is not enough for me to purse on its own. To give up the simplicity I so strongly desire, to learn technology after walking away from it, to be on social media for the sake of connecting with incredible people, well… that is a price I am willing to pay in order to fulfill what I truly want. I love this community of people that has gathered around Esthers Eden. You are beautiful and I am so glad to get to share these things with you. The truth is I cannot sustain the debt free life which I do desire for myself and my children without money. There is a cost we all have to pay and honestly I don’t resent it. It’s just part of life. So the thing I choose to do in order to make the income is to teach and provide herbal products to you. Without sales this business dies. It’s fact.
My promise to you is to always give Esthers Eden my all. I will work until whatever I put out is the best I can provide you. I will improve it as I learn and grow. After my syrup sales were halted there was so many people who reached out to me. I knew I needed to do something and creating this online course is that something. I sincerely hope you enjoy it. It’s starting out fairly simple I know, but the exciting thing is you get life time access. I will be making upgrades to this course. Big upgrades. I cannot wait. Many people asked for my Elderberry syrup recipe… and well, here it is. It is tucked into this course along with the story of how it was created and exactly why and how I make my syrup taste so good.
Honestly, I’m thankful my syrup sales stopped, because I wouldn’t have ever created this online course otherwise. I am proud of myself for sticking with it and learning new skills. I understand busy schedules and am so happy I can teach you a skill I’ve learned on your timeline and not mine. I am grateful for the incredible technology that allows this.
You can sign up for this online course: Elderberry: Nature’s Medicine Chest today by clicking here! See you there!
Learn & Grow
Esther Munroe - you’re favorite crazy plant lady
