Choosing Your Life

Jennifer Louden is a life coach who writes for Body and Soul Magazine. In her March 2007 column, a woman wrote in asking about deferring her dreams. She has dreamed of "opening a seaside B and B and getting a Ph.D. in art history" but she has put those dreams aside in order to pary the mortgage and care for her children. She was wondering if it is Ok to defer her dreams.


Louden wisely told her that "the truly courageous course in life is one in which you choose to stick with your responsibilites, even when you sometimes feel the cost. Consider your present life as a mindful path, rather than a road of potential regrets." She also encouraged her to pursue her interests in a limited way by learning more about the things she was interested in.

I think that all parents, especially mothers, can relate to this woman's yearnings. It can be tough to make choices and to sacrifice your own dreams for the sake of your children. But I like the idea of choosing your life. Make caring for your family a conscious choice. You definitely still need to have dreams. God may even lead you to find unique ways to fulfill them. But in choosing to bloom right where God has put you, you can feel a new enthusiasm for the life you lead.