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How I Simplified
My Life by Becoming an EP
I am 36 years
old, married to a very supportive husband, and am the mother
of two precocious children -- a son (5
1/2) and a daughter (2 1/2). Becoming a parent has prompted me
to re-evaluate and re-engineer my career, in order to be more
compatible with my role as a mom, to be more aligned with my
burgeoning sense of "life's purpose," and to shift
the emphasis from earning money to living more fully.
My career began and thrived in
the healthcare consulting field. It was a natural extension from
my studies in college, where I earned a B.A. in Economics and
a M.S. in Systems Management, and from being at the right place
at the right time, when the managed care industry expanded considerably.
However, my work was a means to an end --
a nice income -- and did not provide me with any soul
food -- I felt like a cog in the corporate wheel,
working in an industry that bureacratized the delivery of healthcare
services. I became increasingly more unsettled about the type
of work I was doing, while at the same time needing to feel more
of a sense of making a positive contribution.
After my son was born in 1993,
I felt an urgent need to change my ways. I trained to become
a certified massage therapist, and started to build a private
practice while working part-time in my corporate job. After my
daughter was born in 1996, with my husband's blessing, I let
go completely of my well-paying "day job" and took
the leap towards simpler living and self employment. My work
is dedicated to helping other moms feel more empowered, balanced
and satisfied in their lives; I too experience those qualities
in my own life as a result of shifting gears.
The transition was not always
that easy. After living most of my adult life quite independently,
I struggled with becoming financially dependent on my husband,
and with assuming the more traditional role of primary caregiver.
But with that struggle came growth. And with time I continue
to feel more comfortable with my current role. Surrounding myself
with other entrepreneurial-minded women making similar choices
helped considerably.
There were many adjustments to
be made after giving up my income. Not only were our spending
patterns cutback severely, but also our savings were being depleted.
Although I feel like I'm working much harder now performing the
day-to-day activities involved with supporting my family and
household, I'm feeling so much more satisfied. We've traded off
money for time. As a result, I'm able to enhance the quality
of my own life, in addition to my family's, by making self-care
a high priority. And with a more balanced lifestyle, I'm noticing
my massage practice has been thriving, which has helped to replenish
our savings.
I feel very lucky and grateful
to be where I'm at, and I hope my story helps to inspire others
to simplify.
Lori Hermann, CMT is the owner of Mother Nurture, a home-based business offering massage therapy
and support services to moms in Sacramento, CA, and can be reached
by Email: [email protected]
or by Phone: 916-992-1127.
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