The intersection point : Being a mother & freelance professional

This is me a few years ago. Pre-motherhood and while i was a HR head of a large multinational organization

Saat Saal Baadh ( 7 years hence)

 What has changed ?
I feel like a lot more colour and character has been added to my being !

I have enjoyed every nano second of being a mother. Not in the "I love being a mother" holy spirit. But it making me more real, grounded and reflective.  

The same can be said about my professional life. I  have engaged in  many new things that i never dreamt i will ever do - Expressive art, Life & Career Coaching, Personal growth in groups, Blogging, Social media and Writing etc

Even though these two journeys have been different, they have intersected a lot.
Here are a few things i cherish most from this intersection
 

 1. Being in the moment : Whether it is enjoying a sunset with the kids, engaging as a coach or making a group feel empowered. Instances that are timeless and precious happened when i was deeply centered and anchored in the "here & now".

2. Asking for help : I was some one who could never get to ask "for myself". I have slowly but steadily started to reach out. Be it in managing the kids when i needed to travel or work long hours. Reaching out to the professional network to put in a word for me or help endorse my work. Everything i would have cringed at, a few years ago. Now i feel that asking for help is like adding an extra layer of support and why not ?

3. The Learning Adventure: Managing time, being relevant @work, staying sane (while two kids are tearing each other apart) or helping the kid learn life skills etc etc. I feel good that I have really focused on self - learning. Finding a good mix : formal & informal and a peer network of both mothers and fellow professionals have made learning a lot of fun !

Everyone i meet asks me - "so are you ready to get back to full time work" ?
And I say "not yet".
This is the best phase of my life - the kids are getting more independent, there is more time on hand, I love my work (and am good at it) plus the mother has a new set of challenges
So here is cheers to me and my many hats!
And to many more years of "learning to be me"