I lived the typical corporate life that included the heels, control top pantyhose, suits and pearls. The daily grind was no joke. It was exhilarating, fun, and my confidence soared in everything I accomplished. I was a people-pleaser, or should I say a boss-pleaser, and constantly did it all for my boss and company. I left my house by 5:30am and home after 7pm on a good day. I was Melanie Griffith in “Working Girl” on steroids. Then came motherhood.
If you’ve read my book or listened to my episode about identity, my career was my identity. So when I said goodbye to it, you can imagine and relate to how hard it was figuring out who I was. I was a mother but what else?
Tom Bodett once said, “They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.” I had someone to love. I guess I had something to do as I was in the thick of motherhood. But in my eyes I needed something ELSE to do other than household chores and feeding Brooklyn. The third one I struggled with… what was something I was hoping for?
While raising Brooklyn, and as she became more independent and started school, I began asking, “What now?” Who was I? Did I want to go back to my past career? (The answer was no) What would I do now? What skills did I have? Should I keep it simple and work at a boutique by my house? Or was that just a paycheck? I needed something behind a paycheck. I was over 40 and in a stage of life where I wanted to connect with my passions versus my “have-to’s” Maybe I wouldn’t make a lot of money but I could at least enjoy and connect with something deeper than my past career? I could do something for MYSELF versus my boss. But what was that?
This episode is for you if you are in a stage of life where you don’t want to go back but you don’t know where to go. Perhaps you’re recently divorced and need to go back to work. You know you need to pivot (I know you have Ross’s voice in your head right now) but where to? I hope you find this episode relatable and it lifts a heavy weight from your shoulders. You will figure it out. With some bumps in the road and mistakes and “what was I thinking?!” moments. That’s OK! It’s how you finally figure out your new stage of your life along with motherhood. I’m right here with you. Thank you for listening and sharing this episode!
Mom Card Drawing of the Week: “We can’t do much about the length of our lives, but we can do plenty about its width and depth.” -Evan Esar (SUCH a great quote paralleling this episode!)
