In this episode of the Semicolon Spaces podcast, host Linda Lee engages in a heartfelt conversation with Min, a professional turned stay-at-home mom of twins. They explore the significance of taking pauses in life, reflecting on Min's journey through a quarter-life crisis and her current pause in motherhood. The discussion delves into the challenges and joys of parenting, the redefinition of success, and the importance of community and faith in navigating life's transitions. Min shares her insights on being present, the internal struggles of consistency, and the support she receives from her family and friends. The conversation concludes with thoughts on future aspirations and the desire to inspire others to embrace their own pauses.

• 00:00 Introduction to Life's Pauses
• 06:29 The First Significant Pause: A Quarter-Life Crisis
• 10:47 Embracing Motherhood: The Current Pause
• 15:44 Letting Go: Career and Mindset Shifts
• 19:30 Redefining Success in Motherhood
• 22:19 Fighting Internal Battles: Consistency and Discipline
• 26:10 Faith and Community Support
• 30:41 Looking Ahead: The Next Decade
• 33:41 Conceptualizing a New Business Idea
• 36:23 Closing Thoughts and Future Guests

In this conversation, Linda Lee interviews Roger Pua, exploring the theme of intentional pauses in life, particularly in the context of caregiving, career transitions, and personal growth. Roger shares his journey from a corporate career to semi-retirement, discussing the challenges and reflections that come with significant life changes. The conversation delves into the importance of identity, the redefinition of success, and the impact of caregiving on personal fulfillment.

Roger's insights on finding peace and contentment in life resonate throughout the discussion, culminating in a heartfelt tribute to his mother and her legacy.

• 00:00:00 Introduction and Life Transitions
• 00:07:00 Honoring Family Legacy
• 00:14:00 Career Shifts and Semi-Retirement
• 00:21:00 Teaching and Giving Back
• 00:30:00 Advice for Young Graduates
• 00:36:00 Finding Contentment and Peace

In this episode, Linda Lee interviews Qiao Qing (QQ), a mother and founder of Little Warriors, a clothing brand for children with eczema and allergies. QQ shares her journey of motherhood, the challenges of finding personal pauses, and the impact of her children's health issues on her identity. She discusses the importance of community support, the struggle for self-advocacy, and the need for empathy in parenting. Throughout the conversation, QQ reflects on her evolving definition of success and her hopes for the future as she navigates the complexities of motherhood.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to QQ and Her Journey
• 05:50 Navigating Eczema and Allergies: A Mother's Struggle
• 11:30 Trust and Control: The Challenges of Caregiving
• 17:10 Rediscovering QQ: Finding Personal Identity
• 22:45 Advocacy and Community: Fighting for Change
• 28:16 Finding Stability in Chaos: Mental Recovery
• 33:45 Closing Thoughts and Future Interviews

In this episode, Linda Lee hosts Alisa Chopard, a communications professional and personal trainer, to discuss her pauses in life and how they can lead to new paths. Alisa shares her experiences with both forced and voluntary pauses, the impact of losing a job on her self-worth, and how she redefined success and fulfillment. The conversation also delves into Alisa's journey with fitness, her approach to personal training, and the influence of her father on her values and life choices.

• 00:00:00 Introduction to Pauses
• 00:03:00 Forced and Voluntary Pauses
• 00:09:00 Redefining Success
• 00:15:00 Fitness Journey and Self-Discovery
• 00:21:00 Influence of Family and Values
• 00:27:00 Balancing Life and Work

In this special episode with my five-year-old daughter, Bethany, we discussed her love for painting and colours.

When I was a child, I shared her joy for art. With this episode, Bethany reminded me that art is truly powerful and inspired me to continue to indulge in art to pause, to reflect, to meditate.

This is a technical check and test for this series.