Explore and Discover Your Purpose

6 Steps to Uncover Your Dream Career

Marlo Andersen

• Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781642794472
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Careers

Explore and Discover Your Purpose helps mothers find a new career path after raising children.

For mothers anxious to start a career, job hunting can come with many questions and choices. It can be difficult to find the right career path that fits their schedule, earns great money, and offers tons of personal fulfillment. Marlo Anderson takes mothers step-by-step through her signature process to help them become more aware of their personal gifts and ambitions. Explore and Discover Your Purpose provides a fresh perspective to job hunting in today's market by focusing on the spiritual, personal, and emotional aspects of professional development. Marlo shows mothers how to find clarity when choosing a career path, how to prevent fear and excuses from standing in the way, how to avoid a life of quiet desperation, and so much more. Explore and Discover Your Purpose offers mothers a chance to thrive in a career after rocking motherhood.

Chapter 1

TRUST YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

“Once you believe in yourself and see your soul as divine and precious, you’ll automatically be converted to a being who can create miracles.”

—Wayne W. Dyer

As a work of art in motion, you are constantly evolving and shaping. Take a moment and listen to your own story. What does it sound like in your own ears? What would you tell yourself about how you are feeling today? Write that down where you can come back to it.

Trust and listen to yourself. Trusting in one’s own self is a remarkable ability. It is when you feel that gut knowing or that warmth in your heart. It is an internal recognition of your truth. All that you need is inside you; however, the not-so-easy trick is knowing how to uncover it. While the details of the journey may look different for some of us, the principles of how to get there are universal.

Having a Servant’s Heart

There is nothing selfish about wanting to find your gifts so you can grow and give more to others. The choice in your life to bear or adopt and raise children was not easy. Patience and putting yourself aside is the order of the day in the life of a mother. Taking a shower was a treat, and being alone to go to the bathroom was rare. Anyone have a baby or toddler on their lap while on the toilet? You are the one making sure the house is in running order, the kids get to their lessons on time, homework is done, and instruments are practiced. It is a common story in the life of a stay-at-home mom.

Think of all the tears you have lovingly wiped away, all the life lessons you have taught when friend problems would arise, and all the times you were the self-esteem cheerleader when tryouts or a test didn’t go well. And if we had a dollar for each diaper we have changed, we could buy our own small island.

Like you, I would not change the opportunity to raise my kids. Raising my five kids has been the most fulfilling experience of my life, one that’s available for only a short time. What a great life experience it is to be a mom. Each day brings its own challenges and its own rewards. If you are reading this, my bet is you have a servant’s heart. You gave your all to your children and now you want to expand your reach. Now, you feel something calling you. My guess is that you feel like it is coming soon.

In my experience as a transformation coach and healer, I see every day the fact that most people do not know how powerful they truly are. Your innate capacity to make a difference in the world is an eternal truth. With honesty, curiosity, and perseverance, you can find exactly what you are seeking, and much more that you did not know was available to you, if you are open to finding it.

Celebrate this warrior inside who wants to know what she is made of. There are many of us who share this same story. Have you ever been called a firecracker or stubborn, strong-willed, or anything similar? Believe me, it’s a compliment!

You Are Not Alone

You are never alone. There are many other kindred spirit stay-at-home moms with a life continuation plan, as well as many who share your questions and concerns:

“I have been out of the workforce for so long; what do I have to offer?”

“I don’t want to just go back to the old thing I did, but I would have no idea what the next thing could be.”

“I’m terrified and feel like I have no place to start.”

“I’m a little embarrassed to tell many people of my desire for a career. What if they doubt me? Even worse, what if I try and fail?”

“What if I end up regretting my job choice and get stuck in something I don’t enjoy?”

“I don’t want to be stuck in a schedule with a traditional job, but creating my own business sounds overwhelming.”

“I don’t want to just be doing busy work. I want this thing to really count in my life.”

What kind of evidence do you have to support these problems and fears? Let’s reverse these statements and evaluate the opposite scenario.

“My fresh perspective and energy in the workforce will offer much to the world.”

“Because I have changed so much in the last several years, I am proactive in discovering my talents and have a new, clear direction.”

“I’m excited about this new phase in life and consider it an adventure.”

“I confidently share my heart’s desire with those who love me. I have confidence in myself and know that there is no way to fail; there is only learning and succeeding.

“Because I did my due diligence of discovering my deepest self, I can trust I am on the right path.”

“With my newfound purpose in life, I am finding all the support I need to create my dream career that is flexible and actually gives me more energy than I have ever had.”

“Each day has meaning and joy, because I am living my unique purpose. I have a deep internal motivation to build my business because I am in charge and am the creator. “

Just as you could find evidence for the truth of your biggest fears, what is the evidence that the positive is true? Yes, you can find valid and convincing reason for the positive.

What if I told you that there is no such thing as an absolute truth about any of these statements? Your life results will follow what you invest in it and only the direction you give it.

Or don’t give it.

Have a Burning Desire

Think of the first time you remember wanting something, I mean really wanted something. Maybe it was to buy a certain item. Your parents may have told you to pay for it yourself. So you started saving up all your baby sitting and birthday money. The day came when you could buy it. It meant so much more than if someone had handed it to you. But you earned it. You created your own dream come true.

Now what if that thing were an expanded talent. You wanted to make the dance team, the soccer team, or the debate team, or you wanted to get an A in the toughest class in school. That sort of want is what puts you out there. It puts you on the front line. You found the place in yourself to go out and try. Trying, making the effort, and doing our best is enough.

The point is not whether you made this happen. Maybe it took another round or two; maybe it never worked. That is OK. The important part is the honest effort of a heart on fire. Strength is gained. Character is developed. Determination is practiced. These are what we gain. This is what we take with us and no one can do that for us or take it away. Think. What did you gain? What was the reward? I bet that no matter the result, you would never trade the experience. All of these things have made you who you are today, and no one can take that away from you. In my experience with people and as a coach, it is the souls with the most determination to persevere who gain all that they are looking for. And in every single case, these focused individuals find much, much more than they thought they were setting out to find.

Chapter 2

THERE IS SOMETHING MORE

“Each person has the divine right to see themselves as God sees them.”

—Marlo Andersen

Opportunity is all we have. Each person has the opportunity to learn from all things. It is a way of life to choose to learn and grow from all things wonderful, difficult, and in between. We are all standing where we are today because of the choices we made to learn.

As young girl–chapter 1, version 1 of myself–I envisioned both having a family and expanding myself further into having something to do for work. That idea never left me. It was like I had a double vision of my life: to have a lot of kids and to later have a career. I loved it. It was a dream I kept alive. At the time, it didn’t matter what that career was. I just wanted to do something that was mine. I wanted to have that feeling of independence and moving forward. I wanted to make my own money. I wanted to know that no matter what happened in life, I would have my thing.

Coming Clean About My Toilet Obsession

As a mom I’m sure you have cleaned a lot of toilets. I had many years of clean toilet obsession. My friends knew about it, and they had a lot of fun with it as word got around. Sounds funny, right? But it was true. I cleaned all toilets in my house each day and some more than once. I cleaned my entire bathroom each night before bed. I got really, really fast at it. One time my friend was sick, so I cleaned for her one day. Her eyes popped open at how sparkling everything was and in such a short period of time. She mentions it still, and it has been over twenty years ago.

My cleaning extended to baseboards, walls, and cabinet fronts in some way daily. It took minutes, and it was very satisfying. I did not know this at the time, but at one point, I realized that there were two reasons why I did this. One, I could do it better and faster each time. This made me feel like I was getting in something that could otherwise be ignored, but in under five minutes, I had it done. I was the master. It was like always having the extras done that makes you feel like you are ahead.

The second one was that while I was cleaning, I had a moment of brain wave change, or something like that, and I could tap into some sort of inspiration. I felt it most while cleaning a toilet. It was just me, in this tiny room with this toilet, and there is nothing else going on. I can remember several toilet inspirations (crazy, right?) that got me through questions I had or gave me a direction. Interestingly enough, these little sparks of genius were only about me and my personal journey. It was like God was showing me that I was still recognized as a separate person outside of my responsibility as a mother. I felt remembered.

These reminders of my unique identity took me to so many places that I could not have gone if I were not on a menial task like cleaning toilets. There’s something to having your head under a toilet bowl that make things real. I think it is in the humility of it all. If I were being toted around on a golden pillow like the Queen of Sheba, I would have too many distractions. But being on your hands and knees cleaning something that no one aspires to do grounds you in a way. It’s like I am just me. I am a person who has things to do. I am not self-important. I am not haughty. I am down-to-earth. I am willing to be of service in a simple way. I will clean this toilet and do it well.

Those moments of humility that allow for personal awareness create a channel for God to have a few moments with you. You are in a place to receive. You are willing to listen. You don’t put yourself above others. That is when the opportunity comes to hear your inner voice and what God has to say.

I still clean my own toilets. Sometimes a housekeeper helps here and there, on and off, but much of the job is still mine. I have my kids clean their own bathrooms. It teaches them the same lesson. Once anyone thinks they are above something, selfishness appears and light disappears. I have even found cleaning supplies in gas station restrooms and in public buildings and cleaned them.

I also find my inner voice while walking, falling asleep, doing dishes, formally praying, meditating, talking with someone in an honest way, reading—the list goes on and on. The more you practice being open as a way of life, the more God can help you. However, I never find it while in resistance, in fear, in frustration, or in arrogance. That is a closed door to moving ahead in life.

• • • • •

Ballet was my passion (OK, my obsession) growing up, and I pursued contemporary dance as my degree at university. While I was passionate about dance, I chose to not dance professionally but to have a baby. My heart was called to start my family. Still, instead of performing professionally for a living, I raised children and taught dance from my years in college and continued teaching for twenty-three years. I taught ballet, contemporary choreography and composition, creative dance, jazz, and other styles to people of all ages, starting with children of eighteen months to adults of fifty years. I was at home in my heart in the dance studio. It was my place. I connected to my students of all ages and levels. They were in my heart. I rejoiced exceedingly as each would improve and discover themselves in and through dance. It was a real triumph.

At one point, I opened my own studio which I branded, marketed (this could be a whole book unto itself). I wrote curriculum there and hired the best teachers, as well as choreographed, directed, and wrote tr...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Trust Your Heart’s Desire
• Chapter 2: There Is Something More
• Chapter 3: It’s Always Worth the Journey
• Chapter 4: The Power of Decisiveness and Perseverance
• Chapter 5: The Wisdom to Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
• Chapter 6: We Find What We Believe In
• Chapter 7: Outsmarting Limitation
• Chapter 8: Discover Your Talents That Define Your Purpose, Then Give Them Away
• Chapter 9: The Secret of Surrender
• Chapter 10: The Gateway to Your Dream Career
• Conclusion
• Ten Beliefs at Explore and Discover Your Purpose Transformation
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author
• Thank You