It’s been more than four weeks since my previous blog post and I am feeling kind of restless, as if something is missing. That feeling is instantly replaced by a sense of accomplishment once I write a post and publish it. So I ask myself, is writing my passion? Can I pursue this hobby and convert it to a job? ‘Passion’ as defined by the Oxford dictionary is ‘an intense desire or enthusiasm for something.’ While my blog is all about my enthusiasm to write and to share my feelings with the world, there are days on end when I can’t write at all. My mind is blocked by emotions stronger than the desire to write. And most such instances are related to family and home. Running a household is what truly excites me, motivates me, pushes me to the limit of strong and barely controllable emotions, and brings about that sense of immense satisfaction that nothing else that bring. That is the passion of motherhood!
The realisation wasn’t as simple and clear in those days when I juggled my corporate job with my motherhood duties. But the more I struggled, the more it became clear where my priorities were. Motherhood may not be a glamorous or coveted role, but it is the one role that offers you authority and power almost instantly. The power to create and shape a whole new life.
The last decade has whizzed by with its ups and downs but I am proud to say that it was not a blur. Deciding to stay at home with my children was one of the best decisions I ever made as I journeyed along with them through their formative years. It is not over yet, but like every other job in the world, I can see my role and responsibilities changing around boys who are getting more and more independent. I do not wish to wait till the day they come home with their friends and say “Oh no! Mom is at home!” So before my job becomes obsolete or I am given an early retirement, I need to do a complete role revamp!
Transitioning from being a stay-at-home mum to a mumtrepreneur
It began around four years ago when I first thought about doing something else along with raising my children. Something that I could do at my own pace and my time and more important something that really interested me. With full family support I started running a small business selling women’s apparel from home. I took it slowly, building up my client base through friends and then friends of friends. While I was tempted to do it more professionally, I had to balance it with managing a toddler and a 5 year old! It was a perfect kind of job as my husband’s work commitment took us from one country to another.
A new country always takes some time to settle in, new friends to make. Here I thought about doing something different. Teaching was an easy option for stay-at-home mums like me who wanted to make a comeback in the real work and yet have the flexibility to manage work and home. Just to make sure that I was suited for the job, I volunteered as a teaching assistant in a local Primary school. Shortly after, I considered doing a course in teaching, but by then it was time to move countries again!
Back in a new environment with both kids in full-day school, I had more time on hand. I ventured back into the apparel business. This time it was on a bigger scale, with more word-of-mouth advertising and social networking. I felt good about myself.
Then out of the blue I started my blog! It literally happened in a span of three months from the time I gave it a first thought. Friends’encouragement, easy to build software and a heart full of stories and memories to share, all went into its easy birth. Like a new baby I nurtured it, raised it post by post, lovingly adding all the anecdotes, all the quotes, all the phrases and the photographs of time gone by. It was amazing to see how bottled up feelings, happiness, anxieties and frustrations went into forming words, leading to sentences, leading to paragraphs, leading to a happy me.
Home business, teaching, blogging plus there are many other options I might consider before zeroing in on the one that will keep me busy once the chicks leave the nest. But what I firmly believe in and where the secret of success lies is keeping that one passion alive that motivates you, excites you and keeps you going even in times of adversity. For me that is being a stay-at-home mum. What’s yours?
Leave a Reply