The Power of Pursuing Your Passions: Advice for Moms on Finding Personal Fulfillment
As a habits and mindset coach and female motivational speaker, I often emphasize the significance of pursuing our dreams and goals. But I also believe that it’s crucial to have something that brings us joy and fulfillment, something that is uniquely ours. This advice, given to me years ago by a dear mentor, has truly changed my perspective on parenting, relationships, and personal growth.
Let’s talk about time for a moment. Don’t blink, they say…
The days are long, but the years are short, they say. Someday, you’ll miss all the noise, they say. Well, they are correct. Parenting advice from those a little bit further down the line.
The little sayings that maybe we pin to a bulletin board to remind us this. Grateful and soak it all in because one day our kids won’t be so little. And I have to say, as a mom of now 3 grown up daughters, it is so true.
The days are long. The years are so short. Time does what she does, doesn’t she? And she just flies. A few months ago this summer, I watched my 3 grown up daughters plan, pay for, and travel Europe together. I mean, it was the craziest moment to watch them do it all. Let me say that again. They planned, then they paid for and traveled Europe together. It was a sister trip.
It was the coolest thing ever to watch, and I could see their excitement, and I could see the straight up fun that they were having, the And I could hear the joy in the way that they shared about their adventures.
It was so much fun. I mean, I think that their way of traveling is not exactly how I would travel, which makes it all the better. And I followed along. I was constantly, you know, cajoling them to send me pictures. Please send me more pictures. I was clearly not along for the ride.
I was actually at a business conference at the same time, and I was just having, like, all these feelings at the same time. I was so proud of them. I mean, these amazing humans who could travel with anyone chose to travel together with their sisters, experience Europe together with their sisters plan and pay for this trip.
I was so geeking out. I was so proud of them. They’re so smart. They’re so talented. They’re carving their own path.
They’re following their curiosity. And, really, that’s the whole point of parenting. Right? I’ve talked about this so often. I see so many women as we transition into the next stage of parenting, whatever that might be.
It can be that your child is going into kindergarten. It could be that they’re going to high school. Could be that they’re going into college. It could be that they’re like mine and they are grown ups.
And this transition makes us so sad the As if the whole point of this parenting job was not to help them soar, and I am reminding myself of that too because the point was to raise and to model and to teach these young women how to be successful, positive contributing members of society. Right?
And listen, 85% of that is just their DNA. For my own children, 85% of that is just their DNA. I maybe had a 15% influence on that. Like, I’m not taking all the credit for how freaking amazing these daughters of mine are. They are creating their lives on purpose, and I get the opportunity to watch them do that every day. Here’s the thing. So do you.
So do you. Because this is the point of raising children, that they go out and and soar and follow their curiosity and follow their passion and find what lights up their hearts.
Embracing Your Identity: Why Every Mom Needs Something of Her Own
Way back in the day, like, I think even before I had Jenna, way, way, way back in the day, this. I got some life changing advice from a very dear mentor. Years ago, I was a young coach’s wife.
I was just beginning my career as a high school English teacher. And I really don’t think we’ve had Jenna yet. And her name was Marilyn, like, one of the biggest influences on my life ever.
And her advice to me was make sure you have something that is yours, something that you do for you because you love it. This and she was telling me that also as a football coach’s wife because if you have any reference or any just context what it’s like to be in a football family, that the football culture can suck you in and take your identity away, and you just become a football coach’s wife.
And she was this really adamant in telling me, you know, make sure you have something that is yours. And, you know, motherhood and parenting is one of the most amazing roles that you can experience, kinda like being a football coach’s wife. It’s pretty cool.
Raising Children:
“Because this is the point of raising children, that they go out and and soar and follow their curiosity and follow their passion and find what lights up their hearts.”
— Julie
You don’t ever really tire from being a mother, though. Like, you might retire from being a football coach’s wife. You don’t really retire from being a mother, but it does have seasons.
And we can get lost in the season of raising these amazing humans. And when the time comes for them to soar, We’re not quite sure what to do.
That’s why that piece of advice was so crucial for me. And I wanna remind you that whatever season of life you are in right now, it’s so important for you to have something for you.
I promise you when you do, because I have been there. I have done this. It makes the transitions so much easier. Yes. You will be sad as they transition. Yes. You will cry at high school graduation. Jesse asked me before we went to graduation, she was the last one to graduate.
She said, are you gonna cry at graduation? And I said, yes. And I finally figured out why. It’s not because I’m sad you’re graduating. It’s because I’m sad at how fast time passes. I think that’s why we cry. This.
We’re sad at how fast time passes, and you’re going to be a little sad when you drop them off at college. Right? You’re also going to be so proud, this.
And you’re also going to feel centered when you come home because starting today, you’re going to make sure you have something for you. When you do something for you, when you have something for you, when you pursue this something for you.
The Benefits of Having Something For Yourself Makes Transitions Easier
When you build something for you, it lights you up in so many ways, and it actually makes you an even better mother. This relationship with your children will grow in ways like, I can’t even imagine how my relationship with my daughters is going to grow over the next years as I dig into passions, curiosities, pursuits that maybe I’ve had to let go of for a little while.
You know, a mom whose heart is full, whose soul is on fire, who’s inspired, you’re just a better mom. You’re more patient. You’re more energized. You’re more present.
You’re more prepared to emotionally handle the transitions in the seasons of motherhood. So my question for you is, what do you have in your life for you? What are you choosing to do for you this week?
What sparks your interest? What is something that you’ve always said, oh, I’d love to do that, but I haven’t had the time. Could you start that now? Could you take just a couple little steps towards it now?
Could you do something towards exploring that passion, following that curiosity? Now and go back to that piece of advice.
Make sure you have something for you. I promise you, it’ll make you a better mother, but even more than that, even more important than that, the It’ll make you a better human.
Thanks for listening. That’s it for this episode. Thank you for making this podcast part of your life.
We’re all better together. We can figure this out. And along the way, we can crank it up because you’re a human being that has amazing goals and dreams. It’s time for you to go after them. Thanks for listening. That’s it for this episode. Thank you for making this podcast part of your life. It’s amazing to listen to a podcast.
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