My role as a mother has evolved since I left my job five years ago. I originally intended to just be a stay at home mom that took care of her child, remodeled the house, got involved in more school activities and found the balance between motherhood and being a wife. But as time passed I found myself challenged and wanting more, to become more educated, to feel accomplished in my career. I could not be just a housewife or  just a mom. I had two degrees and over 10 years of work experience. I could not let that go to waste. I needed a challenge.

As I continued to search for a way to still be at home for my kids and fulfill my need of a career, I met some wonderful women at my children’s school. Some of them still work in office jobs and others are faced with the same dilemma that I was facing. So to keep myself active in the working world I accepted an invitation to a Technology Conference. I got to escape the mom tasks for a day and play working mom.

At the conference there was a speaker that caught my eye. He spoke about concepts that I could relate to. He was from India, and he was now a successful entrepreneur that originally came to America with only $5 in his pocket. He said we must face our fears and never give up and when you speak to others about your dreams and people say you are crazy or that it’s impossible, then you are in the right track. He believes that we are all capable of greatness and that no dream is too big. He also mentioned that it is not about how much money you make and how popular you are, it’s about how you help others and how your innovations improve life. I felt as if he was speaking directly to me.

When you make the decision to leave your full time job to be a stay at home mom you get a feeling that you are giving up on your career. You tell yourself that eventually you will come back, but you still have your doubts. Then you go through moments of desperation, hard economic times and moments when you feel you are losing brain cells each time you are just cleaning and tending to everyone at home. So when you have opportunities to go out to the business world again, attend conferences and see other business women, you go.

I learned many interesting things in this conference, but one thing that resonated with me was to “NEVER GIVE UP”. I know that someday women will be able to hold jobs as engineers, doctors, lawyer, designers, teachers, dancers, chefs and more without having to sacrifice being a mother.

I don’t have all the answers yet, but I know that I’m in a journey that will teach me how to make it all happen. I hope that I will make a difference for all the moms like me that are professionals with careers but also want to be there for their kids when they say their first word, when they walk their first steps as well as when they get older and go to their first dance. We deserve to have it all. We just have to believe that we can.

Dr. Wayne Dyer always said we are what we say. He always inspired people to be the best and put your ego aside. A quote that I try to remember always is: “Don’t die with your music still inside you. Listen to your intuitive inner voice and find what passion stirs your soul. When you do this, you’re also tapping into another face of intention: love. If you’re doing what you love and loving what you do—whatever it is—you make a living at it!”

To all those moms that are not happy with their jobs, know that you are able to make a living of things you are passionate about. Just listen to your intuition, and remember that you need to work at it. Find out who you are, what do you want in life and go for that goal. Support is out there, you just need to reach out and grab it.

And for the moms that are professionals that have done the switch to stay at home, I know how you feel. You will find the need to challenge yourself and be more than just MOM, and it’s ok. You can find the way to fulfill that need, you just have to go out and explore.