For a while now I have another top job: motherhood. Showing the best version of myself as a mother is now on top of my daily to be list. I have already been aware of motherhood being a grateful but also challenging part of life. The challenge only became bigger when combining it with my attention for my three companies. I had scheduled everything in my head and on my calendar. Eventually I remembered my late father’s wisdom: ‘Any human being gets what he can carry …’ and also with respect to motherhood I have applied my most practiced rule of life: surrender. Because all the wanting and planning, gave stress and even more fatigue. Gratitude to the gods and goddesses to have finally reached calm waters as a ‘business mom’.
The first quarter of this year mainly existed off resting and adjusting to my new rhythm. Work could be done when our little majesty took his return ticket to the land of dreams. I have always loved the silence, but in these three months those moments of silence became divine and timeless: silence became a very good friend. Work mainly took place in the quarters of my domestic temple, where I could enter the digital world from behind my laptop, either through e-mail or through Social Media, but also where I could work on my projects and my consults offline & unplugged. Human contact was possible through video calling. Isn’t it an amazing time we live in? Unlike in those days as a corporate slave, there was no need to adjust my situation to my job, but now my life has become the core to which my companies adjust around me.
Somewhat rested I realized it was time for the outer world. My network as an essential part of my business is as I see it to valuable not to give it the proper attention irl. We all know that moment at the coffee machine from a recent or far past as an employee. A moment, to refresh your thoughts, to exchange your perspective with a colleague or just to enjoy a moment of Zen, while you let your work marinate itself towards the right direction or to just let your colleagues stew in their own juice.
So have activated my coffee dates again. This time not like one of the invitees mentioned: ‘Having an audience of Su’, but whenever I feel the need to invite intuitively some people who don’t know each other yet on a specific morning at a specific place.
My first coffee date as a moment felt great. It seems that by having a child, you get more motivated to manifest the best version of yourself. And it is such a joy to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea and listen to what’s keeping other entrepreneurs busy and share what I am doing. A quick look in my agenda and I am already looking forward to my next coffee date.
This column is initially written for and published on Oostonline.nl on April 7, 2014.