“I Could Never Be a Stay Home Mom,” I said.

Before you shrug this off, I promise this isn’t some guilty plug intended to make parents feel like they should stay home with their kids. This post is to explain the negative energy we can put into something that scares us.

Maybe, I still have your attention. I’ll say this about working a full time job verses being a stay home parent: they are both hard, they both have rewards, there is no right answer, don’t let anyone shame you for choosing your path.  March on!

When I was working a full time job in human resources I realized there were aspects of the job I enjoyed, like the investigating, creative business writing, and seeing what craziness humans were capable of next. There were also downfalls however, which included having to fire people for any number of reasons, and a lot of confrontation. I had two children during my career, and during that time I can be quoted by several people as saying, “I could never be a stay home mom.”

Then I was laid off while pregnant with my third child. I was forced to take a second look at the “I can’t” situation. So, I thought, maybe I can – maybe?

We are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. Change is terrifying for everyone on any number of matters. If a hand forces change upon you, or you take a step to initiate it yourself, there will be ups and downs. Brace yourself and march on!

Staying home with my kids is hard and easy. Though a sidecar to this adventure has been rediscovering how much I love to write. Doors have closed, while others slowly creep open.

My humble advice is to take a look at why you are saying “I can’t” or “I could never” and determine what is driving this. Fear can rule over us like an evil dark lord, twisting the truth and making us run away. Fear however, also protects us and keeps us safe. What are you allowing fear to do for you? Not a bad question to ask yourself. In my case, fear was not protecting me, it was chasing me away from a place I found joy.