Live Life To The Fullest

Career Path Takes Unexpected Route

Julie and I had known one another from our school days. She pursued and academic career and was a lecturer at a local university. My career was less straight forward than hers. I quit my job less than 3 years into marriage in order to raise my young family. I was a full time stay at home mom for 12 years.

Being out of the job market for that long exposed me to a lot of experiences that opened up my mind to a whole new world. I learned to be open minded about so much. I also discovered so much about myself that I previously knew nothing about. I discovered things I am good at that I had never even thought about. When time came for me to resume my working life, I was a totally different person from the one who took a break from job. My interests, skills and expertise had changed a lot over the years such that I did not go back to the line of work that I left. Here is an article about my journey back to the world of gainful employment: http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/saturday/Work-at-home-queens/1216-2858100-126vawq/index.html

Julie and I were chatting over a cup of coffee a few years after I just started working in the mental health field. She was wondering why I was wasting time doing things that were not related to my field of training in any way. I was at pains to explain to her that the small area we call ‘our profession’ is really not all there is to us. There is so much to an individual that the field of training does not capture. For example, my family struggled with mental health challenges and I found myself researching extensively about them and even presenting papers in international conferences. That was not my field of training but I was completely passionate about the field.

Being at home for years exposed me to what an average family goes through on a day to day basis in the struggle for survival. I went for shopping and to the market during normal working hours and even got time to chat with a vendor here and there. I saw what the average person goes through in their struggle for survival. I realized that probably 3/4s of the population had financial struggles. I also came to realize the relationship between poor mental health and poverty. I developed the passion to empower people financially. My profile does not fit into that of the average employee but I love what I do and I would not change a thing even if I had the option to. Julie voiced the opinion of many in my circles. I have met a lot of criticism over the years but I fully understand that it is not easy to be understood when one does not follow the path trodden by the majority. Sometimes we just have to follow our hearts and do what makes us come alive.

This article is written by Susan Catherine Keter, ife coach, mentor, network marketing professional, freelancer and blogger.
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/Financial.Literacy.Africa/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SusanCatherineK

Financial Independence Africa