Rediscovering Passion Beyond Motherhood

What are you passionate about?

I was recently asked to answer this question and I struggled. Not just in the moment but for hours and days later. What is my passion?

For the past (almost) 2 years, my life has been completely overtaken by a tiny human being. She is my world and I don’t know how I ever lived without the joy she brings me every day.

But along the way I’ve struggled with being “just a mom.” I’ve struggled every single day since I decided to leave my job as a nutrition educator after E was born. I felt like I was giving up everything that I had worked so hard for.

But most significantly, I felt like I had lost any sense of identity that I had before I was a mom.

Before I became a mother it was a whirlwind of graduating college, moving away for a job, getting engaged, moving back to be with my soon to be husband, getting married, and by our first anniversary, we had a 2-month-old. We didn’t waste any time and I have zero regrets because my life is truly better with the both of them. I wanted to be a wife and a mother more than anything. And I still do.

But what about me? What is my passion?

If I had to tell you, in a nutshell, I think a big one would be food. Sounds kind of funny but it really is. I decided to get my two degrees from Michigan State University in Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics and spent 5 years essentially learning about food. The science behind it and how your body uses it. How to talk about food and diet with people and how to encourage them to make healthy changes.  I love when people try new foods and learn they actually like it, especially kids. I love teaching people that healthy foods are not out of reach due to things like a tight budget or lack of time.

So food, food is one of my passions. I feel pretty passionate about these double chocolate M and M’s sitting right here beside me and I also feel pretty passionate about finding new ways to sneak fruits and vegetables into the body of my picky toddler!

During my time as a Nutrition Educator, I worked a great deal in elementary school classrooms. My career aspirations still involve nutrition education in public schools, not only for students but parents as well.

I’ve struggled so much with the lack of direction that I’ve faced since I’ve been home with my daughter. Honestly, this blog has saved me. It has given me something to focus on. It has given me something to work towards, it challenges me, and keeps me connected to the big wide world that is beyond the four walls of this house. It too, along with writing and connecting with other moms, has become one of my passions.

During 2017, I have decided that I am going to work on combining these passions. I have rarely talked about nutrition on Life as Mama Bear, but it is something I am knowledgeable about and is a big part of my life. Just ask my husband 😉

I’ve talked about these grand plans I have for 2017 and one of them is to work towards bringing a nutrition focus to the blog once a week. Healthy recipes, meal planning tips, healthy foods on a budget, dealing with picky eaters, getting kids active, these are all things I’m working on. If there is a certain nutrition topic you would be interested in hearing, I’m open to suggestions! Let me know below.

I’ll still be rambling about other happenings in my life and sharing great things with you, but this is one small step I am taking to fuel my passion and push me towards some of my own personal career goals.

Now tell me, what is your passion?