By Masha Malka
What is sad for women of my generation is that they weren't supposed to work if they had families. What were they going to do when the children are grown -- watch the raindrops coming down the window pane?
~Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
When my first baby, Veronica, was born I felt that I had it all -- the loving husband and the baby I always wanted and waited so long to have! I just couldn't get enough of her -- I couldn't wait for her to wake up so that I could play with her; I wrote her songs and letters; made hundreds of pictures and videotaped her every progress.
What is sad for women of my generation is that they weren't supposed to work if they had families. What were they going to do when the children are grown -- watch the raindrops coming down the window pane?
~Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
When my first baby, Veronica, was born I felt that I had it all -- the loving husband and the baby I always wanted and waited so long to have! I just couldn't get enough of her -- I couldn't wait for her to wake up so that I could play with her; I wrote her songs and letters; made hundreds of pictures and videotaped her every progress.
When Veronica was two years old something strange happened. As I was hanging out the laundry I felt tears running down my cheeks. And then I felt a deep yearning inside of me for something else, for something that was not a part of my life at the time. As much as I loved my baby and staying home with her, I had to do something more.
So I went back to school. I decided to continue my education through an online university (Capella University) so that I could still be with Veronica as much as possible. I studied while she slept and a year later I received a Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Training Online.
That same year I traveled to Las Vegas to attend a workshop on Accelerated Learning Techniques and became a certified trainer. Four months later I flew to Thailand to attend a Transformational Thinking Certificate Program. By then Veronica was three and a half years old and I was "working" on having another baby.
When I got back from Thailand I was so full of ideas and desires to start a career in training that I decided to postpone having the second child. Yet, just two weeks later I discovered that I was pregnant!
"Well," I said to myself, "why should a pregnancy and a baby stop me from doing what I really want?!" So I proceeded to design my first workshop and delivered it when I was seven months pregnant. I have to mention that I had a terrible fear of public speaking and it took all my courage and determination not to give up on my idea.
After the success of my first workshop I was "too pregnant" to deliver any more but I still felt I had to do something, so I converted my workshop into an e-book, designed a website and six weeks later started selling it online. I knew absolutely nothing about e-books or selling them online when I had that idea.
My second baby, Julia, was born a week after Veronica's fourth birthday. Three months later we sold our house and moved to Bulgaria! My husband and I wanted to do corporate training for emerging markets and decided to be closer to the action. Not knowing anyone there and with two young children, we dived right in to finding clients and developing our first workshop.
I put my desk in the living room so that I would not miss "any action" while I was writing workbooks and doing my research. I also hired someone else to do the house chores so that when I did not work I could just be with my girls.
I still wrote songs and letters to my kids, as well as took lots of photos and videos. My career, though demanding, provided a perfect balance for me.
When Veronica turned seven and Julia turned three I felt like my life was getting a little easier. The girls were in school and more and more independent; I was in the middle of writing my second book and there was a big demand for my coaching services. Though I really wanted to have a boy, I decided my family was perfect as it was and that I should not have any more children and give more focus to my career.
Ha! As I said that to my gynecologist, he informed me (after the routine check-up) that I was pregnant! Completely shocked and realizing that with the third child I might have to let go or postpone quite a few of my dreams, I did not know what to do!
Since I am still not sure "how it happened" I thought to myself that this was really meant to be and it was not for me to decide whether this was the right time or not. So I just decided, as with everything else in my life, to take it one step at a time.
I did not give up on any of my dreams. Two weeks after my baby boy David was born, my book was published. I felt like I gave birth to two children that year. The joy and fulfillment was indescribable.
I chose to breastfeed all of my kids, which meant frequent wakings at night and not much power to think or do. Yet, I had to get back to work -- my clients were waiting and the book needed attention.
When I had only Veronica and no career, I used to think that it would be impossible for me to take care of more children. I just could not image how some women did it. Now, with three children ages nine, five, and one, as well as a rapidly growing career, I realize that we greatly underestimate our power and our strength!
My new book, The One Minute Coach: Change Your Life One Minute at a Time came out in October 2008. I am busy doing what I love and I have created a perfect balance between my career and my family.
My children are growing up understanding that taking care of personal needs is just as important, if not more, as taking care of other people's needs. I still work from home and I am a very involved mom -- attending all of the recitals, teacher meetings, doing projects with my kids, and taking them on "dates with Mommy."
When we let go of our fears, do what we love, and just take it one step at a time --we can have it all!
So I went back to school. I decided to continue my education through an online university (Capella University) so that I could still be with Veronica as much as possible. I studied while she slept and a year later I received a Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Training Online.
That same year I traveled to Las Vegas to attend a workshop on Accelerated Learning Techniques and became a certified trainer. Four months later I flew to Thailand to attend a Transformational Thinking Certificate Program. By then Veronica was three and a half years old and I was "working" on having another baby.
When I got back from Thailand I was so full of ideas and desires to start a career in training that I decided to postpone having the second child. Yet, just two weeks later I discovered that I was pregnant!
"Well," I said to myself, "why should a pregnancy and a baby stop me from doing what I really want?!" So I proceeded to design my first workshop and delivered it when I was seven months pregnant. I have to mention that I had a terrible fear of public speaking and it took all my courage and determination not to give up on my idea.
After the success of my first workshop I was "too pregnant" to deliver any more but I still felt I had to do something, so I converted my workshop into an e-book, designed a website and six weeks later started selling it online. I knew absolutely nothing about e-books or selling them online when I had that idea.
My second baby, Julia, was born a week after Veronica's fourth birthday. Three months later we sold our house and moved to Bulgaria! My husband and I wanted to do corporate training for emerging markets and decided to be closer to the action. Not knowing anyone there and with two young children, we dived right in to finding clients and developing our first workshop.
I put my desk in the living room so that I would not miss "any action" while I was writing workbooks and doing my research. I also hired someone else to do the house chores so that when I did not work I could just be with my girls.
I still wrote songs and letters to my kids, as well as took lots of photos and videos. My career, though demanding, provided a perfect balance for me.
When Veronica turned seven and Julia turned three I felt like my life was getting a little easier. The girls were in school and more and more independent; I was in the middle of writing my second book and there was a big demand for my coaching services. Though I really wanted to have a boy, I decided my family was perfect as it was and that I should not have any more children and give more focus to my career.
Ha! As I said that to my gynecologist, he informed me (after the routine check-up) that I was pregnant! Completely shocked and realizing that with the third child I might have to let go or postpone quite a few of my dreams, I did not know what to do!
Since I am still not sure "how it happened" I thought to myself that this was really meant to be and it was not for me to decide whether this was the right time or not. So I just decided, as with everything else in my life, to take it one step at a time.
I did not give up on any of my dreams. Two weeks after my baby boy David was born, my book was published. I felt like I gave birth to two children that year. The joy and fulfillment was indescribable.
I chose to breastfeed all of my kids, which meant frequent wakings at night and not much power to think or do. Yet, I had to get back to work -- my clients were waiting and the book needed attention.
When I had only Veronica and no career, I used to think that it would be impossible for me to take care of more children. I just could not image how some women did it. Now, with three children ages nine, five, and one, as well as a rapidly growing career, I realize that we greatly underestimate our power and our strength!
My new book, The One Minute Coach: Change Your Life One Minute at a Time came out in October 2008. I am busy doing what I love and I have created a perfect balance between my career and my family.
My children are growing up understanding that taking care of personal needs is just as important, if not more, as taking care of other people's needs. I still work from home and I am a very involved mom -- attending all of the recitals, teacher meetings, doing projects with my kids, and taking them on "dates with Mommy."
When we let go of our fears, do what we love, and just take it one step at a time --we can have it all!
http://www.chickensoup.com
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