Yeah, I never saw it coming. I unexpectedly quit a promising tech career to stay home and raise my kids.

What, what, what?

This shocked friends, family … and me most of all. I loved my tech career … hired by Siemens out of college, then moved to California in a job-challenged economy, but landed a tech job within two weeks, no problem.

My co-workers were predominately male, and they most certainly weren’t quitting to raise children, but in the MS-DOS prompt days this was status quo … and I’d always played well with boys. I’m a girlie-boy conundrum… wanted a fire truck for my 3rd birthday, chose pink and sparkles but could never swing high enough, vowed to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, and raised my hand repeatedly in every science class. And just like you may have, I wanted to better the world.

Pregnancy derailed my corporate fast track, and surprisingly this was by choice. While interviewing for a management position, I first felt my baby kick. Whoa … had I really created a person?

After a soul-search, I decided my career could wait while I attempted to raise a responsible, socially-conscious, and unentitled kid. (Thanks Parenting With Love And Logic and Rich Dad Poor Dad.)

Fast forward to four kids, a dog, a cat, and a hamster. In between taxiing kids around, like the Loony Tunes Tasmanian Devil, I didn’t stop working completely – I just stopped working for pay. I served on boards of several volunteer, kid-related organizations, worked on tech steering committees, and organized service projects.

Life was almost perfect, until … bam … a "smartache"! I blinked, and suddenly my kids were older, and didn’t need me much. My volunteer jobs felt rewarding, but didn’t challenge my intellect. Memories of my business career ignited …

Through my 40-something prism, the rat race of long hours, weekend conference calls and making a corporation rich, no longer attracted me. I ached to do something smart … and yes, still change the world. I remain idealistic at heart, as do many friends, and maybe you too …

I spent three months brainstorming ideas and decided to launch a website to help others boost happiness and well-being.

This merges my tech experience with my heart. Plus, finding something rewarding to do is one of the three pillars of happiness. (Thanks hiking4ever22 for recommending Stumbling On Happyness‎.)

Work is play now -- my smartache is cured. So …smart women please consider quitting to raise responsible, socially-conscious, and unentitled kids, because the world needs more kids like this. Then join me in connecting your mind, heart and career – and soar like a phoenix above your career ashes.

Which Phase 2 career might interest you? Please comment, like and share ...

About the author: Kendeyl Johansen, a tech-nerd with a behavioral Science and Health B.S., is an award-winning journalist with hundreds of published articles. She has a burning desire to boost happiness and well-being and (ahem) try to reconnect our disconnected world.

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