I’m still trying to make sense of what to do moving forward after my abrupt exit from corporate life—my seemingly ideal work-from-home corporate job.
So, I did what I always do when I feel lost: I researched, I reflected, and then I wrote about it. Writing helps me process things, and maybe what I’ve learned will be worth something to you too.
I started by taking a course on Purpose in Life. One of the most important things I had to do was articulate my whys and stand by them. That’s when I realized that self-validation is the foundation of everything. If I don’t acknowledge that I deserve to take up space in this world, that my presence and my work are valid, then there is no rebuilding to be done—because I wouldn’t even recognize my own existence.
As part of the course, I had to define my Be Goals, my personal guiding principles:
- A loving, supportive, and present good-enough mom
- A sage and an oracle (a deep thinker and seeker of wisdom)
- A creative yet practical communicator and doer (a pragmatist) – Someone who merges creativity with real-world impact. Someone who will not relying on others in old age.
- An empowerer of others – Breaking people free from limiting beliefs, encouraging critical thinking.
- A person who trusts her inner wisdom
- A visionary who sees the Big Picture
The Purpose In Life course also emphasized that a truly meaningful life requires self-transcending goals—ones that extend beyond personal success. That’s when I wrote my mission statement (which I put in my FB Business Page):
“I wish to connect with you heart-to-heart, to be fully present in your presence. I use my empathy and words to help you understand both the dark and light within yourself, as well as your true colors. My mission is to know you holistically and practically, guiding you toward better health in mind, body, and psyche.”
Midway through the Purpose in Life course, I also took up Personal Branding and Healing with the Arts. At first, these might seem like different things—one is about business, the other about self-expression. But for me, they are intertwined.
Personal Branding asked me to define the essence of who I am in three words—words that should guide every aspect of my work: Insightful. Holistic. Pragmatic.
Healing with the Arts encouraged me to create art as a way of processing my emotions. What made sense to me instead of painting or dancing or writing a poem was drafting a business plan. A structured, strategic, deeply introspective blueprint of how I will rebuild myself—not just as an author, not just as a psychologist, but as a person reclaiming her path.
I call this plan Rebuilding Me or Freelancer 2.0. (And now I am writing about it so you know about it too!)
I tried freelancing five years ago, but I was unprepared. I didn’t have the confidence, the clarity, or the self-belief that I am painstakingly cultivating now. This time, I want to do it differently.
I am in my 40s. I have seen enough to know that clarity does not come all at once—it emerges. I have been here before, in the murky middle of reinvention, and I know that if I stay patient, the form will take shape. I wish I could say that I have everything figured out. That the blueprint is flawless, and all I need to do is execute. But the truth is, I am in the messy middle.
However messy, I do have some non-negotiables, which are:
- I will enroll in a PhD this school year. I may also teach part-time if I find the right school and schedule that allow me to preserve my creative time.
- I will prioritize time affluence over money affluence. Mornings are for writing, creating, and deep work. My availability for others will be selective—my well-being comes first.
- I will launch my blog. My words need a home, and even if people say blogs are outdated, I see many authors still using them. Why not?
- I will hire an assistant (a temporary one). I still struggle with this because I am ashamed of asking for help—why can others do everything themselves, but I can’t? But I have to acknowledge that I want my creative time. I don’t want to spend hours pressing buttons in front of a smartphone when someone else can do it better.
I’ve been talking to freelancers, therapists, and entrepreneurs—people who have built lives on their own terms. Their overall advice for me is to be consistent and sell a good product.
But in the end, the most crucial element is faith. I have to believe in myself, take (acceptable) risks roll with it, and deal with whatever comes it along the way. The long, long way.
The featured image on this blog was AI-generated by me using free tools, namely ChatGPT, Canva, and Leonardo AI. I use these images to support my written content creatively and cost-effectively.
