My name is Sian Meeuwsen. I always knew I would have children “one day in the future”, but as 40 crept closer and closer, I knew I would have to make a decision whether I was going to go down the line of kids, or stick to my career, comfortable income and exciting party lifestyle.
As I crossed over into my 40’s I luckily met a man who felt the same way as me, as we loosely discussed having children. Later that year I fell pregnant, so the decision was taken out of my hands. And now we are parents to the most delightful little one-year old boy.
Now let’s talk about my career…
There is no doubt about it, women still get the short straw when it comes to children or career. At some stage, or at some level, you will have to make a choice. (Unless you are happy to register your 2 month old into a nursery and happily go back to work full-time while someone else brings up your child. I for one, did not fall into that category).
As soon as my son was born, I knew life would never be the same again. There was no way I could go back to my desk in my office and sit there as I have done for years, as if nothing had changed. As if I had not just experienced the most incredible and life changing/bearing gift ever.
I was lucky enough to have a year off for maternity leave.
During that year, I had a taster of what life would be like if I did not have to go back to work. Or work in the traditional 9-5 sense. I had time for myself (even though I had a screaming baby right next to me all of the time). I had time to meet my friends for coffee, join baby groups, go food shopping outside of lunch and after work times! How different that felt and how quiet the shops were. After a few weeks, I significantly noticed my stress levels decrease. I had less road rage as was not always late trying to keep up a good impression in the office. I chose the people I wanted to be around, and I chose when to meet them.
Although having a newborn is unbelievably difficult, I actually found it easier and less stressful than going to work. Even though it was months before I would have to go back, I dreaded the thought, and began searching online for different job ideas, online courses to retrain in something I was passionate about, and careers which would give me the opportunity of working from home with flexible times.
I had deep self-exploratory discoveries, which also led to a loss of identity when I realised I could not find my passion (which I will go into further in other blogs). In those months of searching, I signed up for a neuroscience course, a yoga nidra online course, I thought of becoming a yoga instructor, a mindfulness trainer, a child psychologist….. all these went through my mind and stuck for quite a while in some cases.
Only a month before I was due to go back to work, did I hear a You Tube ad which caught my attention. I usually skip all ads, but this one was talking about breaking out of the 9-5. I listened right to the end, and signed up to a series of free online video tutorials.
This was the beginning.
After listening to the tutorials, I knew this was what I was looking for. So I signed up to learn more, and have not looked back once.
I had signed up to an online digital marketing training program which not only teaches you how to make a website from scratch, how to advertise and potentially make enough money to leave your day job, but it also taught about finding you passion. About mindset, and personal development. The reading list at the beginning were books like “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle”, Wayne Dyer and The Secret. I was blown away. Never had I been able to merge my love of spirituality and corporate life, yet here was a community doing just that. Were there really other people out there just like me, searching for the same thing? YES! And I have made life-long friends through this community. I have found family, a new career, and a new me.
If this resonates, I will be so happy to talk you through my experience. Or if you want to dive right in, here is a link to the same video tutorials I saw at my very first introduction to this online programme.
I now am able to work from home, spend as much time as I want to with my 1yr old son, and don’t feel the guilt my friends have about leaving him at nursery every morning in the dark, and picking him up after work, in the dark. In my opinion, I could not imagine anything more soul destroying for a mother, let along for the baby child. It is not the way I choose to bring up my kids and live my life.
I choose freedom, and the new paradigm of working.
And shortly after signing up fully to this programme, I found out I was pregnant with my second baby! So this is my journey…. Follow me and find out how it unfolds. I have big dreams, which I will also share.
All I know if that I am forever grateful for this online programme which has shown me the possibility of a new way of living, and a free life.
And I’m loving it!
Sian
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