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.

Has anyone ever stopped to ask why this song is so popular? My husband was a DJ, and of the hundreds and thousands of songs that exist in the world, this song was one of the most requested songs at weddings, proms, birthdays, etc…

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.

The dynamics of the traditional family have changed over the last few decades. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of 2010, couples in which only the husband worked represented a mere 19% of married-couple families. Additionally, based on the latest BLS American Time Use Survey , women are spending more time working than we are performing household duties.

It's been a teeth-themed week at Casa Casey...

Last weekend, my sister needed all her wisdom teeth taken out and this week Courtney lost both of her front teeth. In between all the blood, tears, and laughs there were some interesting leadership lessons inspired by the tooth fairy.

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.

The anticipation of returning to work seems deadly.  Each day the stress mounts, each night your brain races about what needs to be done.  The idea of balancing a job and homelife seems insurmountable.

Until you do it.

It looked so far down.  With my hands in the air and me contemplating my first cartwheel in at least two decades, the ground look so far away.  My incredulous family didn’t believe I could do it and suddenly I didn’t think I could either.

For the first time, I felt old.

Fear had taken over and I cursed myself for having a kid so late in life. I kept my arms up as I argued with myself.  I am not ready to feel old yet.  I still have too much daring to do.  They don’t believe you can do it and besides, who cares if I can’t.