Am I Going To Be “Just a Mom” Forever?
What do you do when you did everything you were “supposed” to do to be a successful human, but you don’t feel successful? I got good grades in high school, went to college for Veterinary, used that degree in the work force, but didn’t get very far. I wasn’t told that my career choice wouldn’t have a paycheck that could actually afford my student loans. I didn’t know that my career was a bit of a dead-end job. I was working overtime every week and just barely getting by. How could I get where I wanted to go in life with that?
I took on multiple jobs and even some direct marketing gigs to make extra cash. Nothing seemed to make me happy or content. I often heard that I was great with my customers from those jobs, so I switched gears and went into the real estate business. Far removed from what my degree was in but hey, I can pay my bills and more now! All is good, right? Nope. Still not happy with where I’m at. What am I missing?
I was so scared this “mom life” was going to be a stagnant, boring day that continued to repeat. I was scared that having a career I enjoyed AND could make money in was not a realistic expectation as a mom.
I kept wondering…”Isn’t there more to life?” I felt so unfulfilled in my own personal identity. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE being a mom. I LOVE being a wife. But as a woman, I need my own identity outside of those titles.
I always knew I was meant to do big things in this world…I just had no idea what. I didn’t have any sort of awesome talent. I couldn’t crochet a damn blanket or sing with the voice of an angel. So….what was I supposed to be doing here?
It took me a lot of self-reflection and soul searching to understand that money and treating animals aren’t what fulfilled me.
I knew I liked working for myself and running my own show but damn, it can get lonely! Well, I sure did miss a steady paycheck…but no way was I going back to a schedule that suits someone else’s needs and not mine. I knew I was interested in fitness, but definitely didn’t see myself as a trainer or getting THAT into it. I truly loved motivating and inspiring others, but I had no degree in Psychology — who was I to pretend that I know more about someone’s brain than they do? I LOVED learning about pregnancy and natural childbirth, but let’s face it…I did not want to go back to school. What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I be happy?
I spent a long while sitting on these feelings and being down about myself and my inability to be happy. Then it happened — I found out that I was NOT alone! In fact, nearly everyone I spoke to about this feeling of unfulfilled work life told me they felt the same way. Why are we all so scared to make the jump into a new path that we may love? Every time I had a business idea or a new career thought I had an excuse as to why it couldn’t happen.
Two years, another business venture, and a lot of coaching sessions later…I’ve found it. I had it all along but I didn’t recognize it. I’m MEANT to be helping other women like me to succeed. It lights my heart on fire!
This is it. This is what I am going to immerse myself in and share my story with the world for those other women who feel lost and alone. I am going to feed into this desire to express my thoughts and interests in a public way. My hope is that I can inspire some others out there who may be in the same boat. It really is true that nothing will change until we make that change happen. And until you start believing that, you will be stuck in the same place.
There is no more time for worrying about what others may think. If there is anything I’ve learned over the past couple of years, it’s that life is much too short.
“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dream.” — Les Brown