When an Unexpected Opportunity Comes

Toward the end of last year, I was looking for some career change. I couldn't quite pinpoint what I wanted. All I knew was that I needed to do something new, and that it had something to do with being creative and being on my own. I guess working from home gave me that sense of independence, of freedom from a boss. The home is just too conducive to using your time your way, ha ha! 

One alternative I saw was to go full blast on blogging. I could blog and blog, attend events and partner with brands---things that I should have done way back in 2004-2005 when I started blogging. I remember at that time, there were only a handful of us mom bloggers, or even bloggers in general. Because we were then a small community, we knew each other. I was part of the first iBlog summit and at one point became a member of Digital Filipino, which helped me find my way in the blogging industry. But I had a day job, and I had to put that priority over blogging.    

Yeah, I thought to myself, I could do full time blogging, or even vlogging. 

So, as I was finding my way, I went to two events in September last year (2017): the Mindful Mom Re-treat of MommyMundo (September 17th) and the Get Blisstified 4 (September 20th) of Martine De Luna and Kimi Lu, a life coach. 

All these in the hope of finding my new purpose in terms of career. The two events were a great help. 

The Mindful Mom Re-treat made me appreciate my being a mom at this stage of my mommyhood right now. I am past the breastfeeding and the toddler days. My kids are now grown up and doing well themselves. I so wanted to tell the other moms in the re-treat to just hang in there and all their challenges will sure come to pass, and they will have again their own time.  

The Get Blisstified gathering helped me define my purpose and direction for my blogging. I realize that I occupy a special niche and that is being at midlife and parenting teens. My vision was:

   Photo Credit to Get Blisstified 4 

I already had a good outline for this. I was so excited then! 

Little did I know that the venture I took before I went to the Get Blisstified event would take much of my time (again) from blogging.

Inadvertently, I have put up a (million-dollar) business and my team is growing fast in a span of only seven months. It's sheer hard work like all business ventures, but then I realize that from this business I can finally start to save up and prepare for my retirement. 

I didn't feel that way when I was working (for others) for 27 years. I couldn't see what was waiting for me at the end of my working years. When I started working, I had better opportunities because I graduated from a top university in the country. When I joined the corporate world, I already finished my master's degree, so, I got a higher pay than the rest. Because of my work ethics and the skills I learned, I rose from the ranks. I was enjoying a good pay and a good position, all right. But the obligations to pay grew with my salary also. It was understandable as I had a growing family. Together with my husband, we made investments for our children's education on top of our daily expenses. In fact, we bought a house only recently.     

Then life continues to happen, and for all you know, you're at midlife, thinking of what happens after all this. 

If I won't work, will I be able to maintain my lifestyle?

When the kids are grown up and have families of their own, can I rely on them for my daily needs? No assurance, at all,and I don't expect them to. I wouldn't give them that burden. We pay forward, remember? 

Who will take care of us when we are old and gray?

My parents are pretty independent because by the grace of God they have pension (Papa even enrolled himself to a hospitalization plan!) and income from their inherited properties. 

I pray that when Wizheart and I would reach their age, we would be as independent and would still be enjoying life and what it has to offer. 

But we know that we don't work for our retirement when we are already retired. We have to start preparing for it now while we can still work and earn. We have to start by zeroing in on debts and saving up, and investing in activities that will give us that passive income. 

What about you? At what stage in your life are you in? And what are you doing to prepare for your old age?

This is old age kicking in! Ha ha!    

I am in midlife and I am in an interesting stag of life, actually!