In November last year, when my life turned in a different direction to where I thought I was headed, I had no idea how I was going to handle all the changes. I’m a goal orientated person and I always have a plan so when the plan changed, I was scared. Scared about the future and what people would think about me suddenly not taking over my dad’s plumbing business.
Friends and family who don’t read my blog, or who do and don’t understand why I write, ask me when will I go back to work? They’ve asked me questions that I haven’t been able to answer because I haven’t known the answers myself. Or I have and haven’t wanted to admit what I really want for fear of being judged.
The honest answer is I don’t want to go back to work as a plumber working on the tools. I found that I was exhausted physically and mentally after being on the tools during the day and my girl’s weren’t getting the best of their mum when she came home.
My strengths have always been with administration and marketing and dealing with clients. Any kind of writing or paperwork is what I really enjoy doing when it comes to work. Interestingly my dad admitted that he was never a great plumber himself but he was good at paperwork and enjoyed the challenge of winning tenders and dealing with builders and project managers to get the job done. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree it seems. So it’s ironic we were both pushing ourselves to be on the tools when they weren’t really our strengths or what we enjoyed doing. (In his defence, I told dad he was a great plumber, after having worked alongside a number of plumbers during my apprenticeship, my dad was thorough and neat and his tool work was exceptional.)
I have been praying and seeking how to be a great mum, yet bring in a small, much needed income to make ends meet. And I don’t want to waste the knowledge I have as a plumber. I love helping people with their plumbing. That’s one of my favourite parts in writing this blog – giving advice and openly discussing issues about plumbing and building.
I really want my blog to meet that work need and it is slowly building momentum. It’s something that I can maintain from home, while being the mum I want to be to my children.
I’m so grateful to those who come and read my blog. I love the online community and my desire while writing this blog is to inspire you, encourage you and give you much needed advice when it comes to plumbing or sharing my experiences about living life in general.
It’s been over eight months since my life change, and while I have a fairly good idea of which direction I want to go, I still fear being unsuccessful. While I have confidence in the things I know and have had experience with, when it comes to blogging I’m flying by the seat of my pants. But I was recently encouraged by this post written by Jodi Gibson – why not fail at something you love?
My dad has noticed my change in positivity recently. He’s never doubted that I would find the answers to what I’ve been seeking. We were able to have a good chat on Monday as he was taking me to see my doctor and of course, we were an hour and a half early, so to fill in time before my appointment we stopped at a café to have a coffee. He told me that my outlook had certainly changed from when I found out I was pregnant, to even a couple of months ago when I was dealing with other issues relating to my blog.
A lot of my journey has involved a lot of prayer and seeking, and in the process of seeking answers for myself, I’ve been able to realize the desires of my heart.
Don’t underestimate the power of positive thoughts and prayer in trying times. It can be exciting and scary not knowing all the answers, but being faithful in making small steps and having an expectant heart has brought opportunities that I couldn’t have imagined.
I’d love to hear how you are going? What are you seeking for at the moment?
