My Defining Moment: Why I Became An Interior Decorator

That defining moment in my life happened in late 2010; 8/30/2010 to be exact.I was given a blow that no mother would ever want…my youngest, Landon, my son, who at the time was 1 yrs old, was severely burned and admitted to the Burn Center for surgery on his teeny hand (what we thought was a mild burn, turned out to be a 3rd degree burn!). Tomorrow will mark the 3rd anniversary of the date that forever changed my life.You see in the midst of our crazy morning routine, trying to multitask (as always) while getting ready for another 12 hour crazy work day and getting the kids dressed and ready for school, I placed the hot iron inside of our linen closet, after ironing my clothes, and closed the door. All I remember next were the howls of my little Landon. Somehow, he opened the linen closet door and grabbed the still very hot iron and blab; it fell on his teeny hand.  I was devastated!!!! Although I’ve forgiven myself, the event stays fresh in my mind as if it happened yesterday—the burn scar left on my baby’s hand won’t let me forget that day even if I tried. It scarred me as well.My baby boy is doing just fine now, but it really forced me to look at my life with a magnifying glass. I asked myself, “Why are you giving so much of your time to work?…. yes work? A job that you don’t even enjoy”.  I just didn’t want to face the fact that it was time to move on….   What I’ve come to learn over the years is that I was never truly present in the moment.  Just going through life kind of floating from event to event, but not really living.  I always knew that something wasn’t right, but I could never really pinpoint it.I worked in the Human Resources field for about 10 years–climbed up the ladder rather quickly so fast that by the age of 30, I was a Senior Manager. But with all of my accomplishments, I just never felt fulfilled. I remember things were becoming so difficult that I couldn't even function like myself anymore--I didn't recognize the person that I was becoming.  I began to notice little things like not being able to perform tasks that once came so easy and natural for me to execute, not being able to concentrate on anything, I was losing sleep and just not feeling at all like myself. I was miserable and didn't know what to do.One afternoon, after work, I had a panic attack one day while walking to my car on my way to get the kids. So bad that I started to cry uncontrollably, which is so not like me. I'm that tough gal, the one who's been through it all and survived it all, but this day I wasn't so tough anymore-I was vulnerable. I knew in the deepest part of my heart and soul that it was time to move on from my job, but I just couldn't take that step. I tried to talk myself out of what my soul was directing me to do, "we need two incomes, you have to work", I said to myself. I found myself calling my mother, which is something that I never use to do. At the time, we didn't get along much, but something told me that I needed my mother just as much as my baby needed me and so I dialed. She immediately know something was wrong-for one, I barely called and two, I was crying. I told her how I was feeling, she comforted me and told me that it will be ok. She told me to hang up the phone, call my boss and quit my job and that everything will be ok because it always is and we have each other. So I followed my mother's orders and my heart and made the boldest decision of my life. I quit my job to care for my baby.The months that followed were tough, as unemployment only stretched but so much, but somehow we made it work. Just as I thought that we were conforming to our new lifestyle and things were getting a bit better, my hubby, Robert had a stroke in the summer of 2011.  I got through these tough life events with the support of family, friends, a support group, my therapist and my love of Interior Decorating. During these times, I remember feeling most at peace when I was working on my decorating projects. I felt as if I could overcome anything when creating and bringing my designs to life.As time passed, I began to receive compliments on my home from family, friends and visitors.  I recall my friends telling me all the time to create an Interior Decorating biz and I always shrugged it off. "They are nuts.  Who the heck would even need interior decorating services?", I thought to myself, but then I began to wonder, what if I really became an Interior Decorator? It’s what I LOVE to do. And so I stopped fighting that tiny voice inside and finally I did!Once my family’s health improved, I began to place all of my energy on learning all that I could about Interior Decorating…I became fascinated by the process. So when it came time for me to return to work, I was faced with making a drastic decision; do I return to the Human Resources field? A career that paid well, but drenched my soul or do I take the road less traveled and launch my Interior Decorating business? Should I take the unknown and uncertain path, but follow my heart and fulfill my soul by helping others feel comfort in their rooms?  So many things to consider.As you can see, I decided to launch my Interior Decorating business and I couldn’t be happier! Without Interior Decorating, I don’t think that I would’ve ever recovered from the tough life events that I experienced.  I have since made a commitment to dedicate the rest of my professional life to helping others feel comfort in their homes by creating a living space that reflects their personality, all without spending a ton of money. I truly believe that when you feel comfortable and at peace in your room, your soul is at peace and you can overcome any challenge that life throws at you.I'm hoping that I can inspire you to live your life to it's fullest and live your wildest dream-whatever it may be and no matter how crazy it might seem to you at this very moment. Lord knows that my dream of becoming an Interior Decorator felt crazy about two years ago...heck it was scary as hell, but I'm so happy that I took that very first frightful step because let me tell you, it's not that bad looking from this end of things.  I get to live my dream of helping DIYers create a room that radiates their style/personality with affordable e-Decorating services.Read more about my journey towards fulfilling my passion and living my dream at my blog.So I ask you; What is your biggest and wildest dream?  What is your passion?  [highlight background_color="" text_color="99006"]Please leave a comment below and feel free to share this post with others. [/highlight]