Woman On Top by Deborah Schwartz is a compelling account of how two men had an impact on the female heroine, Kate.  Jake is Kate’s late husband, who succumbed to cancer at the all too early age of thirty-five. The author describes him as Kate’s soul mate, best friend, and lover.

Ten years ago, as a reporter and soon-to-be working mother, I read with extreme personal interest the spate of stories revealing the new "opt-out revolution" among well-educated and well-off new moms who had chosen to stay home with their babies.

Big week for the Cornings.  Our first and third grade sons both started a brand new school and rode the bus for the first time. Ever.

On a scale of 1-10, most days, how stressed are you? If you asked your partner (and kids) the same question, what would their number be?

If you're like me, becoming a mom is one of the greatest gifts you've experienced in life.

But with it, comes some difficult decisions.

Having been a career woman whose life once centered around my work, I suddenly found myself dreading going into the office.

Secretly, I started fantasizing about quitting my job and reinventing my life AND my career.

That's when my Passion Shift began.

“I hear and I forget.  I see and I understand.  I do and I remember.”

Though Confucius spoke those words long ago, they remain relevant, today.

When we think about our careers, we generally think More is MORE.  More responsibility, more exposure, more opportunities and – obviously – more money.  But times exist during a career lifecycle when LESS is more.  Less money, that is. 

I am so proud that once again Lindquist & Vennum has earned a place on the 2013 Working Mother & Flex-Time Lawyers “Best Law Firms for Women” list. Last week at our firm’s Women’s Initiative luncheon, one of my partners was recognized for being one of the Top 50 Women Attorneys in Minnesota. I received recognition for my 40th (!) anniversary of practice.

I love anniversaries, and I believe celebrating them is very important. Anniversaries remind us of where we started and how much work/energy/ care it took to get where we are now. They help us to dream about progressing to the next critical milestone.

My wedding anniversary is this September. At 29 years, my wonderful marriage to Bob holds strong, and we both realize the amount of love as well as effort that has gone into earning each annual celebration.

As if returning to work isn't hard enough, imagine returning to work and having a BAD manager.  That just makes the adjustment all the more difficult.