Hey there, how are you?
I've missed you :) grab a cuppa this is a little long....
So this blog is a little bit different.... as you can see my last blog was over a month ago (I'm currently rolling my eyes back to last month so I'll just ignore that and carry on) It's because I've started up studying again...new goals and all! I have been studying on and off for the last 6 years, during that time I have worked and travelled got married and we gave birth to our second baby.
So a close friend of mine asked me to blog about it.
She wanted to know how I balance all the duties of running a household , working and still trying to be a decent wife and mum all while trying to get this PAPER (qualification). Before I get into it, I have to put a disclosure in here. These are my own experiences and what I've learnt from them there is no right or wrong !! It's purely just my experience and if it helps you .. AWESOME! If not ,sip that tea and read on its a cool story ha-ha.
THE BEGINNING:
So at the tender age of 18 where I should have been studying hard and enjoying my last year of school and gearing for exams and applying for UNI! I, instead did everything my parents raised me not to do HA! I met a (very) cute boy (now hubby) and.... well... cue the fireworks and rollercoaster's and BANG! We were blessed with the biggest lesson and reason of our lives, our baby boy Nio was born!! It was truly one of the best events of my life! And the rest is history!
And though I would never ever change a thing .. the facts were still clear as day, to the world, I was just another high school dropout teenager with a baby and to top it off I'm Polynesian... in other words.. THE ODDS WERE NOT IN MY FAVOUR! LOL
And to be honest.. I couldn't give a crap what society thought of me, it was always my perception of myself, what I wanted to look back at and be proud of achieving ! I love knowledge and have always craved it and I always knew I had to get back to the books!
And this is where my journey of studying began!!
It blows my mind what is available to us mums or everyone really. Gone are the days where "stay at home" mums or dads have to sacrifice their own personal goals, while trying to raise a family. With excellent childcare and government and or family support, we can still achieve what we want to do in life while still keeping the family close by!!
I chose the path of correspondence learning, simply because it allowed me to study when it suited me. It has allowed me to witness my kid's "firsts" which was so important for my husband and I. And while there are so many other options out there, you have to pick what works for you and what works for your family.
THE GRITTY TRUTH:
Ok... so let's clear something up real quick ..
Is this hard? Do you want to throw the towel in all the time? Is it true you don't sleep much? Is it hard to concentrate? Have you failed any papers? Does it take a LONG time to get your qualification? THE ANSWER IS YES TO ALL OF THE ABOVE! And believe me that is only half of it...
But guess what... is it possible? YES absolutely!! and is it worth it? HECK YES IT IS !!!
Why? Because you can reinvent yourself and its yours! And even though you didn't take the cookie cutter way to get there ... you climbed a big mountain and moulded your own path and against the odds you achieved your goals with your growing family by your side. ( Can I get a AMEN or a handclap for that motivational vent..I KID )
Yes! It's true, this isn't for the faint hearted, it's hard, it take a lot of self drive and in my case a lot of support (from my husband). Most of my study takes place when all the family has gone to bed and it's just me and the computer. And even though the distractions of family life is fast asleep, (clean and fed ) there are other distractions: SOCIAL MEDIA, THE DEADLY ADDICTIVE EVIL THAT IS CANDY CRUSH and don't forget that season of Scandal is waiting for you...
It never ends ha-ha! It's a never ending battle of trying to get in the zone and get things done, but somehow, slowly and surely I get things done!
WRAP IT UP:
So if you're thinking of taking on this mountain.. I say DO IT! GO for it!.... BUT... Do it for you, don't do it for others or to prove something. It has to be for you and it has to be something you really want!! That is what has got me through the long nights and long days .. the secret is PASSION not PRIDE!
If you don't have the pre-entry requirements it takes for the qualification you want, dig deeper and ask; Where do you have to start? It might mean starting from the bottom, but hey, this is where PASSION comes into play and you cannot let PRIDE stand in the way of you getting to where you want to be. Another thing is TIME.. don't rush it, especially if you have work and young kids, do things part-time and do full-time only if you can!
Yes it is about the destination...but you can't get there with no petrol in your car, what I mean is that, you don't want to over work yourself and let everyone including yourself suffer!! Trust me I have been there and it's not pretty!
Take your time -THERE IS NO RUSH !
Last words.... remember do whatever makes you happy! Most of the time the only person standing in your way is yourself!
GOSH IF YOU MADE IT HERE!! I APPLAUD YOU !! REALLY, I AM CLAPPING MY HANDS!
Any who thank you for stopping by:)
Stay blessed and stay being you
Cat xx
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