When I became a mom, my purpose was crystal clear. Here were these human beings I had been tasked to raise and my creativity and energy went into them.
Now they are mostly grown. Their world has expanded. Mine has too, but it must expand even more.
I’ve been thinking about the idea of living with purpose for quite some time but it is particularly in-my-face because of this season of life. Entering the empty nest is a season of purpose shifting. As women, we are freed FROM tasks, roles and responsibilities and we are freed TO rediscover old passions or explore new ones.
Spending some time contemplating purpose can have a positive impact on your entire life.
When we were fully invested in mothering, we got stuff done, we created meaning in our life, and we felt happy and, hopefully, fulfilled. But that season is ending and there are new adventures ahead. For such a time as this, it’s an important topic to discuss.
In my own life, active parenting ended with more of a whimper than a bang. We had been through some painful seasons of life and parenting and limped more that sprinted to the emptying nest.
I tried on some old roles, got my suits out of the closet and contemplated the practice of law again. I found it confining and discovered it no longer fit me.
Like a treasured, comfy old sweater, I relaunched my writing career and, with the addition of active blogging, am finding it to be comfortable, comforting and contributing. I am bumping against that comfort zone as I try new topics and marketing tactics. But it’s a good bumping because I am learning and exploring and looking for new ways and avenues to serve and help people.
I’m launching a series at Real Mom Life about reigniting mom. We’re going to dive into this question: How does a mom move on after wholehearted mothering to live a life with purpose and passion?
We’re going look at how this reigniting will affect all aspects of our lives and of course, I will have plenty of hands-on tips and suggestions for you.
So, what does it means to live with passion and purpose? Part of it is knowing what you’re doing. You have goals and are passionate about what you do. Your feet hit the ground with enthusiasm each day as you wake up and you work with purpose to make the most from each day. You are excited to work towards goals you set based on your purpose and passion.
Getting clarity in this area mean you are clear on your core values and you follow them. So, whenever you have a decision to make, these values make your path clearer and keep you on track.
Living with purpose and passion will help you to just feel good about yourself. When you know where you are going and feel fulfilled in that journey, it will greatly increase your overall happiness.
In the end, that’s what it’s really about, isn’t it? We all want to be able to say we used our talent and gifts in a productive way to make a difference in the lives of others and that created meaning for our lives.
I hope you’ll stick with me on this journey to reignite your life with purpose and passion. We’ll be exploring the strengths and interests you have that may have been dormant. One thing is for sure – it will be an adventure!
