This week, Asha Dornfest, editor of the wildly popular parent blog Parent Hacks and writer/blogger extraordinaire, was kind enough to take some time to discuss fulfillment with me.
Read on to benefit from her insights!
How do you define fulfillment?
I used to think of fulfillment as a destination — something to aspire to, like “happiness.” But as I get older, I find that I grab onto fulfillment in smaller bits — in hours, or even minutes. I no longer expect the Nirvana-like arrival of “fulfillment.” I think in much smaller blocks of time.
How do you find personal fulfillment in your life?
I try to balance the energy coming in and the energy going out. So, if I’m spending a lot of time giving (to my kids, to the house, to friends) I try to set aside time to do something for myself. Same goes the other way — if I find myself preoccupied by my work or my anxieties, I try to move my focus outside of myself, to my family, my friends, and my community. The scale’s always tipping, but I do my best to bring it back to center when I can.
How do you find personal fulfillment through motherhood?
I feel most fulfilled by motherhood when I can step back and see the individuals my kids are becoming. The day-to-day routine can get lost in details, so I try to spend a few minutes every day really seeing these children, inside and out.
Thank you very much, Asha! I really appreciate your taking time to answer these questions. I’m still learning that fulfillment isn’t a destination; it comes when you take a moment to look at the journey. When my life or stress or troubles threaten to overwhelm me, I find that focusing on others helps to put things in perspective, too.
To read more of Asha’s thoughts, visit her personal blog ashaland. For daily tips and tricks to make your life easier, check out her blog,
Also, keep checking back here for an update to the Popular Parent Bloggers list coming up soon! (Looking like early next week; thanks a lot for changing everything around, stupid Technorati.)