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Hi Reader,

How has your week been?

I recently had my second article published in The Startup since returning to Medium (yes, I'm totally counting because, wow! did that make me feel good!). I shared the unexpected and invisible perks about running a side hustle, which I still think is the best real life school ever if you want to learn the skills to be successful and live a happy, fulfiling life!

Like so many people, when I started my side hustle at first, it was simply to make more money to pay off debt. The idea of financial and time freedom appealed to me. But this endeavour has grown into so much more than that...

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Another insight I got this past week was all about how being different could actually be my superpower. I used to feel like the odd one out. I was the quiet, invisible, shy and overweight girl in school. Not very bright, always in the slowest class in school. When I started working, colleagues would say somehow I was different - and I felt that way too, always so afraid of speaking up.

But this week, I realised that yes, I've done many things differently than what conventional wisdom says you should. Like:

• Deliberately and consciously choosing not to climb the corporate ladder yet earning way more than if I did by staying on the path I was on.
• Going home on time every day since my kids were born and still consistently being rated a high performer at work.
• Never attending after hours company events yet doing well at work even though they said socialising after work was necessary to be successful.
• Running a side business despite being a busy, full time breadwinning mom to 2 kids.
• Being financially independent even though I didn't have any such role models because I was surrounded by traditional family models where the men were the providers.
• Becoming a leadership trainer and coach who loves public speaking even though I'm a shy, introvert at heart (huh? still figuring this one out!)

I'm saying all this not to show off (because, who likes a show off?), but to share a realisation that there are unlimited paths to success!

Don't doubt yourself and the power you have to create the life you want, even if you think it defies conventional wisdom and what 'they' say you can have.

How are you defying conventional wisdom with what you're doing? I'd love to hear about it. Hit reply and tell me!

Have a good week ahead.

Sharon

P.S. Have you heard about my new 5-day email course to get anything you want? It's free, so CLICK HERE to start the course!