So if you follow along on the blog, you know I am writing a three part series on Investing. Part One focused on marriage. From the response, I see that our marriages are an area that we find hard to make time for but I hope you found some freedom in those words I shared.
Today, I want to get real about pursuing our passions. Many of you are like me and searching for opportunities to make a small wave in this big old pond we live and work in.
Originally, my charge to you for this post was this:
Go all in. If you want to move mountains and stake your place in this world, you have to put time and sweat equity into your passions. If you want to be great, then you have to push past the excuses, make time and invest.
Sounds good, right?
Then, a few days ago I had one of those “come to Jesus” type meetings and what I found was that as much as I believed in that “go hard or go home” charge, I was not in the position of doing it.
I was neglecting my family.
I was neglecting my health.
I was neglecting my God.
I was neglecting the charge God had placed on my life and the ministry I am building.
And for what?
A few clicks? A like? A share? For a business plan that does not truly work for a mom or for a family?
Hard truth, isn’t it?
Many of you are like me. You are trying to raise a family. You are trying to homeschool (tackling homework after dinner). You are trying to be a wife and friend. You started pursuing your passions as a means to stay sane, to catalog the ups and downs of woman and mom-hood.
And then, suddenly, you discover your passion could potentially bring in an income. You find there is a community of other passion seekers out there. So, you start reading and following all these incredible investors and they are telling you the key steps to success for investing in your passion.
Before you know it, you are totally ignoring your family and their needs. You are so fixated on the bottom line of your business that you forgot to take a bath. Your moods are based on how your blog is doing. How many likes and shares you received. How many people bought your book.
I get it. I have chased that same boat.
I am sure you thought you were about to read about the steps to success. I truly thought that was what I was going to write about, but frankly, I am tired of pretending. And if I suspect, many of you wish someone else would tell you that you don’t have to wear the superwoman cape all the time.
It is okay to invest in your family for the season. They are only little once.
It is okay to create a business plan that works for your life and the season you are in.
It is okay to take a slower pace when you are creating a business empire.
And frankly, its okay if you never get there.
Let me be the first to tell you that I dream big. I am goal driven. I have hopes and aspirations to be a successful speaker and writer. But right now, I am also a mom to two beautiful children. I am a wife to a wonderful husband that works very hard to provide so I can stay home. I am a friend that has some pretty awesome ladies I get to share community with and I don’t want to neglect that.
Yes, I am pursuing my passions (and doing well) but my investments are much bigger than just a paycheck, a sell or a like. And if you are reading this and disagree, that is okay. Sometimes, what works for one does not work for all.
I am fully aware that if I put more time, money and energy into my business, I would grow much faster.
But I am human. I am tired. I need to invest in more than a plan. Success is not always defined by a title or a following.
There is a saying, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” I agree, maybe not in the way the writer intended, but never-the-less.
When you are pursuing a passion, let me encourage you to invest in more than just a business plan. Invest in your family. Invest in your community. Invest in yourself because a rising tide lifts all boats.
Read more on the Investments Series here: Marriage
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