Mom Unplugged

Driving In My Lane

Aug 11, 2008 Unplugged Moments

This weekend my husband said it. Something that will be etched in my heart forever. What was it you wonder?

He said…

“Give me the information I need to start working with Vegan Family Living so that I can start working on it.”

My heart did a patter and I heard that song in my head, “Someday My Prince Will Come” because my husband looked like a Prince to me who had come to answer my plea and rescue me from the dragon. I was so elated.

You see I had already made the choice to sell Vegan Family Living in September if he did not step up and I had told him so. However my husband normally does not follow through on things that concern helping me with business very often. Not sure what that is about but I don’t sweat it either. So I was not expecting him to actually follow through.

Anyway, I sure do feel good about him taking the reigns. I will help but I am no long responsible for it..YAY!

Some people may say that I am giving up VFL, but I am not. I am simply giving it new direction. A direction that I am no longer in charge of. I did not stop because I wanted to. I stopped working it because I needed to.

I am a woman of God, a wife and mom before I am a business owner. Those three things matter most to me and I will give it all up to maintain those three if God told me to.

My health was starting to suffer again and I had to let something go. My value of my life was being sucked away, so I had to release it. I was suffocating from the toxic fumes a life buried in work can cause, so I had to make some serious decisions.

I am watching God move as I listen. Let me give you an example.

Alexander (AJ) will be starting school tomorrow and between my mom and I we are paying $150 per month towards the $500 tuition. That means $75 for each of us. I know that in order to pay that amount monthly and send him money for lunch and teenager incidentals, I needed to bring in one more retainer client per month. I prayed and told God that He had some work to do.

I got the client this weekend. Coincidence? I think not. I believe that there is a reason for everything and for everything a reason.

I know that if I had not listened when God kept telling me to use my writing to bring in income, I would still be working hard at Vegan Family Living and making pennies. Now don’t get me wrong I am thankful for those few pennies; but you know like I know that a few pennies just does not make it in America.

I had to make some choices when the money well started running dry in our home. We were hurting and my kids were going without.

I came to my senses and said, “Ok something has got to change. LaTara, it is time to come out of this poverty, ‘robbing Paul to pay Peter’ mentality. Girl, you are so much better than this. It is not fair to your husband, the kids or yourself.”

Within a week The Natural Writer was created and I received my first three clients by the end of the week. It took me 6 months to see my first dime with Vegan Family Living. Now, please don’t think I am talking about a “money fast” idea because I am not. However, I have not missed a week of income since starting The Natural Writer and the marketing and planning come so much easier for me.

Driving in my Lane, I have discovered…

• I am sleeping better
• I have more confidence
• I can help my kids
• My husband no longer has to buy groceries or worry about things like clothes, toiletries, and her can focus on rent, utilities and gas
• I am more focused on my health
• I can take time during the day to really focus on my home and family without worrying about what I need to do next
• I can work for 4 to 5 hours per day and make full-time pay.

I have discovered more while driving in my own lane but that is for another time, another day, and another post.

A part of being Authentic is recognizing who you are, what you can do, why, and accepting the answers to those questions. Once you accept the terms you have to sign on the dotted line, get in your car and drive in your own lane.

Are you driving in your own lane or working hard to run everyone else off the road?