After having to spoken to a few, close, friends recently, I realised how difficult it can be, for people in general but especially women to make “life changes” after a certain point in their lives. I think it is particularly difficult, as a mother, to make life altering changes without first having to consider how it will affect your family. This motivated me to write this post, to motivate you on “how to find your passion”!
I think I am definitely more aware of this with 40 looming in the not too distant future but I think it has less to do with age and more to do with the expectations and dreams I have for my life. We all make certain life decisions, early on in our lives and mine was to settle down and have a family. Being a SAHM {stay at home mom} means that there are certain sacrifices you are required to make and usually your career is one of these sacrifices. I know that there are a great many moms who do both but our own personal decision was that I would be a full-time SAHM; fortunately for us we were able to do this. I feel that young children, benefit hugely in the early years of their development, if you are able to be at home with them.
The only dilemma that quite a few moms’ find themselves in, is that once their children are of a school going age, they tend to have more free time on their hands. So this begs the question – “What Now?” and this is especially true if you did not pursue a career path BC {before children} because you could then simply continue on that path. Well I guess this is where my need was born to find “something” that I could do that would be primarily “for me”. This is not as easy as it may sound when you have spent the better part of 10-12 years teaching children to eat, walk and sleep. Which is a completely different focus and although physically and emotionally challenging, it leaves you rather lacking intellectually.
In my search to find my passion and purpose, I was given some very wise advice from my man, to find something that I am passionate about and not if possible chase money as a reward. I do understand that some families require both parents to work but if you can follow your passion before you follow the money all the better.
So now that you have established your need, to find your passion how do you go about deciding what your passion or purpose actually is? Simple really, get out a pen and paper and write down all the things you love to do and the things that you would love to do. Remember these are generally the things that keep you awake at night and you have always dreamt of doing. Then comes the tricky bit, you need to eliminate the probable or possible ideas, from the impossible ideas. It’s not that you cannot achieve whatever you set your mind to but more about the practical application of these ideas. For instance the prospect of becoming a world travelling photo-journalist, although exciting would be near on impossible with kids and hubby in-tow.
For me, a mom of two grade school children, finding my passion resulted in me starting my blog. I have always loved photography, fashion and cooking, pretty much anything that is a creative outlet and writing and sharing about these things on my blog is greatly fulfilling. The one factor I had not banked on was how much I actually love writing, this came as quite a surprise to me but I guess I am writing about the things I am passionate about! For you it may be as simple as taking a photographic or art course or as big as taking the first steps to getting a degree.
I believe that it is not necessarily about what you decide to do but more about recognising your need to do something and that it is never to late change the direction you are travelling in!
Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion. ~ Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Passion and purpose go hand in hand. When you discover your purpose, you will normally find it’s something you’re tremendously passionate about.” ~ Steve Pavlina, Blogger and Author
Quotes Images: Pinterest
Great post Fee – really enjoyed reading it. It’s great to remind ourselves, esp as moms, that whatever stage of life we are at that it is not over and there is so much more we can do to live a life of passion it might just be a little bit harder to accomplish but it will be worth it!
Hi Kath
Thanks for the comment! I think some people lose themselves among the way & I hope this is some encouragement to women especially moms out there!