Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) Feb/March 2018 Aspire Mag Full Issue: Inner Prospe | Page 53

STEP 2: Be aware; opportunity doesn’t knock … but you should. Are you constantly seeing the talents you possess? Are you a good home decorator or photographer? How will you move these from paper to action? Be aware. There is always someone that will tell you what they can’t do: “I can’t send out my Christmas card photos,” “I can’t decorate my house.” Your boss says, “We are working on the marketing brochure.” Your answer, “I can do it.” Gain experience. Are you also facing midlife angst—watching your children let go of your hand and feeling a bit lost, constantly contemplating, “What’s next for me?” If so, perhaps the following ideas can help. STEP 1: Write! Every day when I wake up, before I do anything (okay, that’s a lie—usually for me it’s after I’ve had my coffee) I write down talents I possess or passions and ideas that I have. I park them on paper. Doing this helped me to recognize I am creative and passionate about health and helping others. STEP 3: Write (again). Write a purpose plan. I am a believer in the law of attraction, to some degree. The late Louise Hay started her day with positive affirmations, and she credits that practice for her abundant life. I like that (a lot), but I don’t entirely buy it. Hay had affirmations and 53 Ten years ago, I didn’t need a job (although I did have one) because I had a purpose: raising my children. My job took care of things like paying my mortgage, but it was never my purpose. I even left my job for a while and joined the ranks of the #SAHM (stay at home moms), thinking this would help me delve deeper into my purpose. My purpose was raising my beautiful children, and my performance review was their health and happiness. I loved my purpose. Yet, as I drop a forgotten lunch off for my almost senior in high school (seriously, I know I shouldn’t do that), and I wait behind the bus as the boy with the dimples gets on, I have nothing else to do but recognize that I am being “laid off.” Oh, don’t get me wrong, I know they still need me in this dicey teenage existence they are navigating through. But at the same time, they are spreading their wings and preparing to fly in search of their own purpose. However, as I allow and encourage them to do this, I find my own wings are kind of worn and a little crumpled. I seem to lack … purpose.