There are some events that stick too sharply to memory, not because they are important or significant but because of the thoughts you had at that point in time.
On a Wednesday morning, about 2.5 years ago, I was holding my 1-year-old daughter on my lap and sitting on a small cane chair, while my husband was leaving for office and was saying bye to us. My husband and I were classmates and I had quite an equally successful corporate career of 8 years which I quit to take care of the baby. The thought in my mind at that moment was – why this arrangement? That was the first time it occurred to me because till then things always seemed fair and equal, circumstances were not always similar but they were usually fair and equal.
This thought on inequality can have a strange grip on your whole being and it did the same to me, I can recall this to be one of the worst phases of my life. But this story is not about how bad I felt during that time but about how I managed to get out of the slump.
I Started A Gratitude Diary
I came across an article that talked about practicing gratitude and how that changes your life. Skepticism did arise, but I still decided to write down 5 things that I was thankful daily. On some days the entries were very simple like, “Hot tea on a cold morning”. But I kept at it and started my day with it; this really helped me to focus on what I have, rather than what I don’t!
I Revived My Hobbies
Before my little one was born, I used to run a lot and I simply stopped after the baby. Not because I couldn’t find the time, or because my body couldn’t do it. I simply didn’t do it because I thought I might not be able to, without even trying. One evening, a friend called to check if I wanted to join her for a run and I said yes and just like that, I reclaimed another aspect of me. The next morning, the diary entry read, “I ran :)”
Every little thing that I did that I thought I couldn’t do made an entry into the diary and slowly but surprisingly, I was gaining my confidence back. For instance, we started traveling like before, in fact even more than before. I realized that being a mother is a beautiful added dimension to one’s life and you can lead a fuller and joyful life.
How Reading Helped Me Reclaim A Career
Reading was another favorite pastime that had taken the lowest of priorities because of lack of time. My husband and I are both avid readers and all our friends know this, one of them even gifted us a book for our wedding – The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau. I picked up this book on one of those nights when your baby wakes up and goes back to sleep, but you just cannot find sleep and started reading. The book actually helped me, in fact, hand held me in setting up my venture.
I now run a successful venture and have been into it for the last 2 years and continue to run and read a lot. Even now, I hold my baby and sit on the chair and my husband wishes good bye to leave to work. But, the thoughts in my head are usually – getting baby ready for school, to do list for my venture and other usual happy stuff.
The diary, by the way, sits in one corner of my cupboard dusty! Am sure you guessed it right not because I have nothing to be grateful about but because the diary is full and I have a new one now 🙂