If I could take a snapshot of my life at this moment and show it to myself 15 years ago, I bet I would have liked what the picture revealed – a wife and mother of two beautiful boys. I have achieved the plan I envisioned as a young girl to get married and have two children before the age of 30. For reasons that escape me now, I wanted to be a young Mom and I wanted my children to be close in age. So here I am, living the dream. What I never expected is that dreams change.

I now wonder why marriage and a family the furthest point I ever dared to consider as a young girl? What did I think was going to happen after I settled nicely into these roles that I designated for myself? I dare to say that most women don’t realize what it means to be a wife and mother. Most women don’t realize how much of themselves get lost in this transformation. Most women are shocked to find out what happens once they have reached their fairytale goals from childhood, this woman included.

I have recently been struggling with my picture perfect life. My husband and I have had to reinvent our relationship, my children are getting older and are heading off to school and my career was put on hold so long that I’m not certain I even want to do it anymore. I must take my consideration beyond wife and mother and find out who I am… now. Does being a wife and mom limit my choices for my future? Does saying these things out loud make me a bad wife and mother?

Oh, so much to consider. Well, if you are like me and struggling to find your place in life, please don’t fret. I have a feeling we are not the only ones! I have decided to feel excited about my new journey. Here I am at the young age of 33 and have been given the opportunity to ask myself once again, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Here are a few differences in my approach to this question, the second time around:

Follow My Heart: I have been given the honor of raising two wonderful children who have taught me so much about myself and others. This time around I have the awareness to listen to my heart and choose something I am passionate about.

Put First Things First: Since I have already been blessed with a beautiful family, I no longer have to morph them into my already established life. I have the benefit of choosing something that will fit into what my family and I have learned that works best for us.

Take Pride: It is okay to be proud of being a wife and mom. So many times I have felt like these roles defined me in a way that blended me into everyone else. Not so. While my family is my top priority, I am still my own person and capable of being whatever I want to be.

There are many reasons why someone may need to reconsider their direction in life. Have you ever asked yourself what you want to be when you grow up more than once? What was your approach to this question the second time? Please share your thoughts here!

Related posts:

1. “I Can’t Have Anything Nice”
2. Don’t Let Your New-Found Freedom Destroy Your Family Relationships
3. Dream With Intention, Feed Your Entrepreneurial Spirit
4. Too Many Frogs on my Pad?
5. The Power to Re-Define

Tags: career, Child, dreams, Family, Feminism, follow you heart, Future, Growing Up, living, Marriage, Mother, Passion, Pride, Priorities, Relationships, women