When I say, ‘what are you passionate about?’ what’s the first thing that comes to mind? If you’re a mom, I bet it was your family. And that’s okay, but in the name of this whole kick I’ve been on about taking care of yourself, let’s go a little deeper.

THERE NEEDS TO BE A FUNNY STORY HERE…and I’ve literally spent weeks trying to think of something funny to say to you because THAT’S MY BRAND, DARNIT, but I don’t have one. I’m still figuring out what it means to take care of myself and nurture my passions too, very honestly.  Sometimes it’s exciting, sometimes it’s scary, but I really believe that we’re in this together.

Somehow, somewhere, we’ve picked up that we are supposed to lay down our entire lives in the name of taking care of our families, in the name of selflessness. We think that by denying ourselves we become the hero.

It sounds dramatic, but think about it:  We think we’re doing everyone a favor by demoting ourselves, not paying attention to what any woman’s mind soul and body would need, and then we end up resenting the very people we’re serving because it seems like they get to do absolutely everything they want: we help them with their laundry, their cleaning, finding all the things in plain sight.  We make their lunches, their beds, and their dreams come true….and maybe we feel a little empty.

And then we actually become martyrs.

We resent that everyone else gets to do whatever they want while we get the dinner, clean the clothes and make the dreams come true. Come on, now.

Please don’t misunderstand me (especially if you’re MY kid and reading this).  Our kids are a huge, huge part of our lives and shape how we act, think and make decisions for 18, 20, 25 years.  Being a mom definitely means giving priority to raising these little lives with which we’ve been entrusted into honest, hard-working members of society who call their mother on the weekends.  But what happens after they’ve found their own passions we worked so hard to nurture with our wisdom and our wallets (HEL-LO, can I PUH-LEASE get an amen?) Where are we then? I have yet to meet an adult – or kid for that matter – who enjoys it when their parents living life vicariously through them.

I connect with moms all over, pursuing their passions: fashion, home décor, DIY…all with a baby on their hip or their 4-year-old taking their Instagram photos – and just rocking motherhood.  It’s not perfect.  They don’t have everything figured out.  But they’re doing it and they’re better for it.

Find what you’re passionate about.  Maybe you can’t give it endless hours of attention (remember that time when I said I was going to write EVERY SINGLE DAY?), but you can start looking inside yourself and figuring out what you’re good at.  Usually that’s where passion’s seed lies. Then maybe start reading a book about it.  Who cares if it takes you 2 years to finish? There’s no judging here.  Passion sometimes takes time to develop, but when you’re chasing it and the dreams that it creates, there’s no stopping you.

For those of you who think you’re not good at anything and never will be.  Stoppit.  Stoppit right now.  You can do this.  There’s stuff inside of you that you don’t even know is there.  Stop and take a second to tell yourself that you’re beautiful, inside and out.  Stop and tell yourself – look at yourself in the mirror – and say, “I’M ENOUGH.”  It’s cheesy, it’s awkward, but do it.

Don’t sentence yourself as a failure before you’ve even given yourself permission to succeed.  Live in the moment, be kind to yourself when you make mistakes, and keep moving forward.

Me, I’m passionate about writing and speaking and making people laugh.  I’m passionate about community and I’m crazy about helping women feel like they’re worthy of the gifts inside of them.  I’m passionate about my family, having fresh flowers around me all the time, and brunch on the weekends.

 

Comment below and tell me what you’re passionate about, even if it’s eating waffles on Sundays.  I want to know!