Lessons I learnt when I followed my passion and I am not giving up on it
Almost two years ago, I had my first piece Published and featured in March 2018 (International Women’s Month) though I had always loved to write since my school days, but, this passion for writing had taken a backseat to career, family and motherhood.
I am 40 years old married for 16 years to my husband Sudeep and we have two handsome sons Akshaj (14) and Atiksh (8). Besides being a Mom and wife, I serve on various School District Board Committees and City Commission and also active PTA member of my sons school. While I have always enjoyed these roles and took care of all duties with same sincerity but still had moments where, I felt like I was missing something. I always had the urge of writing or I should say more like voicing my opinion and sharing my point of view through writing
Eventually, I did. And, all thanks to my son Akshaj, (Author of 4 published Books) who would come seeking my feedback on his Articles and stories, which made me laugh, cry, gave me goosebumps. He asked me, “When you can so beautifully relate to my writings, I am very certain that you can write too about your thoughts and life experiences.”
His conversation got me thinking, with a leap of faith I took my 1st step and wrote my first piece on my personal experience. “What I Learnt about Success When I Quit My Job to Become a Stay-At Home Mom”. This first article garnered a lot of attention (1.4k shares) with in two days into getting published.
My sole purpose of writing this article was to uplift other Stay at Home moms who frequently experience low self-esteem and setback once they decide to quit working and stay home with kids. I wanted to let those mothers know that, while staying with kids and being a homemaker is no cakewalk, becoming one will also not entirely destroy your own identity.
I penned down my piece, crossed my fingers and emailed the article to the editor. I was shocked and delighted when I received an e-mail in few hours confirming their interest and publishing date. Over the course of the next several months, several of my other articles were accepted and published on various blogs and websites across USA. I also started to freelance for a Parents Magazine.
All my published articles are very special to me as they describe my experiences as a mom, a parent, PTA member or Cultural Shift from India to USA. But my very first Article is the one that taught me important life lessons that has shaped me into a strong women I am today.
It’s never too late to chase your dreams or follow your passion.
I wrote that first article during the time when I had low self-esteem as every friend or acquaintance seemed to have a beautiful and inspiring life with a thriving career. They seemed to have a purpose in life. This feeling could have easily put away my desire to write, but instead, I gathered courage and decided to write and I am so glad I did. Even with backlash on the post, I don’t regret at all.
It requires tremendous amount of courage to share your personal experience on a creative platform.
When we share our experiences and opinions on a creative platform, especially on the Internet, we are opening ourselves up to criticism and judgment of the people around the globe that we wouldn’t receive otherwise. It almost felt like these people are professional on judging your life and experiences. Not everyone is going to appreciate or like what you have to say or how you feel, but don’t let that stop you from sharing something eloquent to you.
I learnt that when people judge you, they are actually NOT judging you.
For couple of days into my article online, I was slightly disappointed and anxious when many people left negative comments on the post. Upsetting people was never my intention. My sole purpose was to inspire and uplift women. Many people who reacted positively to my piece understood my intentions and started a conversation. An important lesson this taught me was that I am not responsible for how other people think about me or react to my work as they have no understanding about who I am as a person. It is their perceptions of me based on their own beliefs and life’s experiences, which has nothing to do with me.
I am so glad, I did not give up on writing after the negative comments and judgement I received. Because after that my other articles received lot of attention and positive messages from moms around different communities. They were able to relate to my personal narratives / articles on School Fundraising and Cultural Shift from India to USA.
Just want to let the other woman writers out there know that follow your passions and dreams. Do NOT ever give up on sharing what is meaningful just because you fear rejection.
Following my passion has given a new direction to my life and this new found identity is benefiting everyone in my family including me. I am so thankful to my son for inspiring me and my husband for supporting my passion unconditionally and not letting me give up.
Author’s Bio : Sacramento based mother of two boys ages 8 and 14 years. First Indian woman to be appointed as Parks, Youth and Community Enrichment Commissioner. Serves on several Natomas Unified School District committees. Nominated for N Factor Community awards. She has also made guest appearances on ABC 10 digital series “Moms Explain All” and Three Moms and a Dad”
Links to other Articles
Fitting in as a Woman of Color ,
How I Accidentally Classified My Son as an English Language Learner
What I Learnt About Success When I Quit My Job To Become A Stay-At-Home Mom
