Pursuing the Dream is The Way: The Mom Exclusive

Exceptional women. I love hearing about them, reading about them, and being inspired by them. But exceptional moms? That’s really my sweet spot.

You know, the amazing moms who are building families with intention, leading at work, at home, and in their communities with integrity and purpose. They’re not wearing a badge of burnout. They’re chasing meaning and making time for work, rest, and plain old fun.

I’m sure many of us have heard of such women, but isn’t it just so much better when you actually know one, two, or more, personally?

I feel compelled to share about three women I know and who are exceptional moms, because they did something that many of us think about but don’t actually do: they acted. They acted on a dream, a passion, a gnawing idea that wouldn’t go away. And in doing so they are modeling for their kids, friends, and circles of influence how to commit and persevere when faced with uncertainty or when things are hard, how to believe in oneself before others do, the power of vulnerability to put yourself out there and inspire others along the way, and the superpower of action itself: not just talking, thinking, or reading, but actually doing the thing.

I feel so grateful to know Autumn, Julie, and Kat, all incredible moms who are inspirations to their families and to me. 

Autumn and I used to have long conversations about our dreams, goals, and the passion that brought us together–purposeful families. We swapped war stories about the road to completing our doctoral dissertations, we invited one another’s kids on playdates, and spent time laughing and painting on date nights with our husbands. But we mostly talked about Autumn’s dream to write a book on equipping kids for leadership. And the obstacles, deadlines, and setbacks were many. But she did it! And I was one of the first in line to buy her book on presale. Why? Because we need to champion more moms who are pursuing their dreams and showing their kids what is possible.

Julie and I had daughters who were best friends and navigated their last years of high school together. We laughed and chatted over cheese dip and chips, spent long weekend hours in each other’s living rooms silently working side-by-side writing, we took our families on trips together, went on weekend getaways with our husbands, and celebrated our kids’ sports accolades and losses together. But the consistent thread through all of it was this amazing story of history, love, and loss that Julie had been carrying in her heart. So I added my voice to her family’s and encouraged her to write it. And what a gift for words she has. It was incredible to support and cheer for her this past weekend at her standing-room-only book launch!

Kat and I met in the throes of Thai language class, both of us spending 8 hours a day, 40+ hours a week trying to survive learning Thai while raising kids. She reminds me of so many extraordinary women I’ve worked with: a consummate professional with impeccable integrity and a fierce mom’s heart for her family. I knew of Kat and her husband’s adventurous spirit for travel, but I only recently learned of their bold step to worldschool their kids (touchgrasstour.com). Kat is stepping away from a great career where she excels, to teach her kids while taking them on the adventure of a lifetime.

Three moms. Three different life stories. But the same inspirational example to their kids about not waiting for the perfect moment to begin, or until you feel you have all the needed prerequisites, or until you have the approval, or resources, or fill in the blank of all the reasons we talk about our dreams, ideas, and plans but don’t act.

And perhaps what is most remarkable is that research consistently points to the fact that this kind of purposeful pursuit doesn’t just benefit moms alone. Study after study shows that maternal aspirations, behaviors, and expectations significantly influence a child’s motivation, academic achievement, confidence, and long-term outlook on life. Children absorb not only what we say, but what we consistently model. Modeling purposeful pursuit shapes the home environment and instills in our kids resilience, purpose, self-efficacy, positive outcome expectancy beliefs, and self-worth.

In other words, when children watch their moms pursue meaningful goals with courage and integrity, they are receiving a blueprint for what is possible in their own lives.

So here’s to the moms:

Writing the book.

Starting the business.

Going back to school.

Creating the art.

Changing careers.

Launching the dream.

Or simply daring to believe they were made for more than survival mode.

The world needs more moms like these. And perhaps more importantly, their kids do.

Let's love, inspire, enable, and empower our families, together.

Jackie M

An abbreviated version of blogpost this was published on LinkedIn @JacquelineMourot

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