Lots and lots of people have asked me recently why I write NHM and what I get out of it.
One word springs to mind: Ego.
NHM feeds my ego. 😀
(Wow, putting it down on paper, in black and white, makes me look so bad! Lol.)
Although, the more I think about it, it’s not just about my ego.
I love helping other people and trying to make their lives easier, I love sharing information and I’m learning that a life of service is very rewarding.
Volunteering
I like to think that NHM is a service. It meets a need, a gap in the market, by helping new and experienced parents (mainly Mums) who live in the area.
I’ve always tried to help other people. I’ve done a lot of voluntary work in my life. In fact I think I’ve done some sort of voluntary work continuously since I was 15 years old.
I believe that your life’s meaning is based on the number of other people that you “help” (whatever that might mean) during your lifetime.
I also believe that we are all connected and whatever you do to one, you do to everyone, including yourself.
I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life and done some truly spectacularly mean things to people, so I guess this is my tiny way of making up for it, making a positive difference.
I know that there are several competitors out there who provide a similar need but I like to think that I try to build a relationship with my NHM readers.
This is becoming more and more apparent based on the number of hugs I get from people I’ve never met before or people who I haven’t seen in a while (Hi Pam!!! When I saw you again at National Playdays your hug and enthusiasm over NHM made my day!! Thank you!!!)
Connection to the world
My life has changed considerably in just five years.
I used to travel a lot for work. For 10 years I traveled nearly every month for work. At one point I was away from home for three months straight, traveling across Asia, Europe and the US for a big project I was working on. It was awesome and I often miss that part of my life.
I miss the excitement of flying on an airplane. Someone driving me to the airport. Sitting in the first class lounge sipping champagne (yup, really). Eating as much ice cream as I wanted. Having 8 to 11 hours all to myself to watch films back to back with no interruptions and nothing else to do.
I nearly always met a huge diversity of people whilst traveling and nearly always got chatting to whomever was sat next to me on a flight. When I was back home in this country I was out most evenings, catching up with people and going to events and different classes.
I wouldn’t swap my old life for what I have now. Not for all the money in the world! That doesn’t mean I don’t miss bits of it though!
NHM helps me feel connected to the bigger picture
I get lonely sometimes. Mr NHM has worked shifts for the past two years, so I’ve spent a lot of time on my own with Miss NHM. It rocks as we get proper quality time together, but at the same time, I miss adult conversations and interactions and I miss Mr NHM a lot.
When your husband works shift, you essentially put your life on hold. Your married friends don’t want to catch up because it’s supposed to be a “family” get together and your single friends aren’t interested because you always have your child “in tow”.
I don’t interact with as many people as I used to for a number of reasons: I work from home most of the time, my friends have their own families and commitments and my extended family appears to be falling apart.
I also spend a lot of time at home now. I love working from home and I love that I don’t have to go into the office and talk to a bunch of people that I have absolutely nothing in common with. I love that I can take my lunch break with people that I actually like and want to spend time with.
However, I do sometimes miss the social interaction.
Up until 6 months ago I also rarely left the house of an evening. Mr NHM’s shift pattern changed all the time, so it was very difficult to schedule a regular evening activity. Lots of my friends have children, so it’s not very convenient to schedule an evening catch up.
I think that’s also partly why we started doing our part time business. It got me out of the house of an evening, it’s helping people by saving them money and it’s flexible enough that I can work on it when we are available.
I’ve also found the NHM Networking sessions to be very rewarding. It’s so great to come away from a meeting absolutely buzzing. They only happen once a month, but they get me out of the house and making meaningful connections with others.
It’s “easy” to write NHM
I can essentially work on NHM anywhere.
I don’t have to leave the house to do it, I can work on it any “spare” time that I have and can fit it in around my busy day without it impacting Miss NHM and Mr NHM directly.
Feedback
Getting messages and feedback on NHM gives my life a little bit more meaning. It makes me feel like I’m doing something important in the world. Ok, it’s a small world, based in North Hampshire, but it’s a start ;-).
If I’ve had even the slightest impact on you by suggesting a new place to visit, a top tip you hadn’t considered, shared a slow cooker recipe, helped you organise your life a bit better, helped publicise your business, even visit a new playgroup, then it’s all worthwhile.
This is why I write NHM
It keeps me connected to the wider world and I love that NHM is a little bit of help to my readers.
This is why I “give up” my time to write NHM. It’s my labour of love, my “other baby”, and if it’s helped you at any point, it’s been worth it :-D.