Create Your Own Path

“A successful life is one that is lived through understanding and pursuing one’s own path, not chasing after the desires of others”

Are you at a point in your life where you feel like you need a change?  You want to start something new?  Our lives have twists and turns and the path isn’t necessarily a straight line or even always clear.  You change, grow and evolve and should give yourself permission to try something new if that’s what you desire.  Sometimes we tend to pigeon hole ourselves or even label ourselves.  “I’m a realtor”, I’m a lawyer”.  That doesn’t mean you can ONLY do those things for the rest of your life.  It’s your choice what you want to do or be.

For example in my own life, I always had a desire to do something creative but in the beginning tended to put it on the back burner.  I started out after college going into computers as a programmer and systems analyst for a licensing company.

After a few years I gave in to my creative urges and started a gift basket business.  I worked at both my job and my business for a few years then finally left my computer job because my goal was to build up my basket business.  I still wanted some steady income so I also did software training on the side.  I eventually gave up the software training to give my full attention to my basket business.

I stuck with it for many years but it started to taper off a few years after having my girls.  I started to lose interest and eventually just said I was done.  It was hard to let my regular clients know I was going to close my business but I couldn’t just stick with something just because I was good at it or to please other people when I knew in my gut it was over.

I did some web design and on the creative side I started making hair accessories for my girls and selling them at craft fairs and gift shops.

I was always into photography but it accelerated when I became a mom.  When the girls were babies I was obsessed with photographing every moment because at the time we were living in Florida and my mom and sis were back in NYC.  Thank goodness for digital because I photographed and emailed photographs every day!

I started making my own accordion photo books and started selling those as well.

Soon after I decided to go pro as a photographer and have been doing it for years now and loving it.

About  a year and  a half ago I was starting to get that itch again and I realized I really love helping people get started with their own  businesses and making connections.  It really excites me to see other women going after what makes them happy!  And that’s where I am today with Life Happens Now.

In a nutshell this was / is my professional life…

• Computer Programmer / Systems Analyst
• Gift Basket Business Owner
• Web Designer
• Maker of Hair Accessories and Photo Books
• Professional Photographer
• Coach / Mentor For Creative Startups

I forgot to add in there at some point I was obsessed with cake decorating and thought I would be  a professional cake decorator! 🙂

It’s ok to be multi passionate, to be curious and to try things out to see what you like. Not everything has to be a full fledged business.  It can be  a hobby, you can be a consultant or freelancer, start something part time.  The choice is really up to you.

Don’t feel bad about starting one thing just to realize it wasn’t meant for you.  You don’t need to feel stuck or guilty about it.  I have  a friend who went to med school, became a doctor,  then a few years into it decided he wanted to be a professional magician…and went for it!  How inspiring is that?!?

The coaching and photography fill different needs for me.  I always need to do something creative so photography fills that need but I also want to make an impact and a difference in people’s lives and that’s where the coaching comes in.  It’s so rewarding to see the transformation in women who are making the commitment to go after what they want.  To see things happen that they at first didn’t think was even possible.

So, now take  a look at your own life.  Have you stayed with the same job for years but now feel stuck and unfulfilled?  Are the kids all in school and now you actually have time to do something for yourself to start your creative gig?  Go for it!  Even if you have to ease into it by taking a class or doing one small thing each day.  Just get started.

Life happens Now – Don’t wait!

Tell me in the comments what you’d love to be doing now….