When Marketing Isn't All There Is...

PayPal payment notifications are exhilarating. Happy days! I've made money out of thin air again. The harder I work, the more money I make. The more money I make, the more confident I am that making money online is the best way (for me) to make money, period.

I really do believe that. But it's not all there is.

I confess...I see marketing and making money online as a means to an end. I am an Internet marketer solely to be able to help provide for my family while staying home with my children. I also like gadgets.

It's absolutely perfect. I get to be the kind of parent I want to be. I get to determine my own income. I get to hang out in my PJ's all day long.

But marketing doesn't define me and never has. I often see other marketers talking about their goals and their marketing in general. They are immersed in it -- out for world domination. I think that's great -- but I don't have passion for marketing in that way. I have a passion for marketing because it allows me to realize my ideal life.

I've recently discovered that my passion lies elsewhere. It has led me to the (insane?) decision to return to school. I'm currently getting my master's degree in Maternal and Child Health and Lactation Consultation.

I did not realize I'd be going down this path, it came together about two weeks after my grandmother passed away (the most important woman in my life. The mother I never had).

I knew I wanted to do something, sometime. I'm only 25, so many more adventures await. But it didn't occur to me that that "something more" would start now. After all, I'm running a business, and I'm a stay at home mom to a 7 month old and a 3 year old.

I really do feel called in this direction. My children are the most important thing. I've been so blessed to have a great family with plenty of money (and gadgets) and I want to help others realize the same thing.

It's the coolest, most perfect plan for me! Here's how I see my life playing out:

• I will become an IBCLC and help underprivaleged mothers and babies (often for free)
• I will continue my writing business to help other moms and dads stay home with their children (if that is what they want for their family)
• I will continue with my Internet Marketing business and earn a ton of cash so I can donate my time, provide for my family, and have a nice life without having to worry about getting a "job" ever again

So, yes, I am passionate about my marketing. But it's not all I'm meant to do with my life -- I now realize it never was.

I'm excited, nervous, exhilarated, and thrilled with this new direction.