The Next Step
Guest blog post submitted by Stacy Nadeau, Creighton.
I’m writing to you on the tenth day of January. Ten days after the biggest day of the year for resolutions, new commitments, and hope.
Hope that somehow this year will be different. You will lost those ten pounds; you’ll get that new job; you’ll meet the man of your dreams.
As young women, we put so much emphasis on “the next step”. Far too often I hear women stress and agonize over what “could be”.
“Stacy, If I could just lose weight, I would feel better… I know it!”
“Stacy, if I met a guy who accepted me for who I am, then maybe I could accept me for who I am.”
“If I had that amazing job that my friend has, then I know I would be happy. She’s so lucky.”
ENOUGH ladies! This is our time. We can no longer put all of our wants, needs, and hope on what comes next. It is time to put energy, time, and acceptance in to what is happening right now!
There is nothing wrong with planning and goal setting to get yourself to the next stage. There is, however, a problem when you put all of your happiness and ’self-worth’ on the next step.
Let’s take ‘losing ten pounds’ as an example (since this is the one I hear most frequently). Many of us equate our worth and happiness to a pant size or number on the scale. When we do this, we miss out on what’s happening all around.
A young woman once told me, “I hate going to parties, going out with friends, and shopping. I feel fat at every moment of every day and won’t enjoy any of it until I lost the weight.”
This young woman was severely depressed and missing out on some of her most precious college and sorority involvement years. She missed meetings, isolated herself from friends, and even moved out of her sorority house to live by herself.
After meeting and talking with this young woman, I didn’t hear from her for months. She emailed me one day telling me she had started therapy and realized how much she had missed out on because she was so obsessed with losing ten pounds.
She had since re-focused her attention on the ‘here and now’ as she put it, and was feeling wonderful. She had been appointed a new position in her sorority and was more involved than ever. She told me that her sisters helped her to laugh and enjoy life again.
This young woman persevered and came full circle! She is a great reminder to me to never miss out; To always live in the moment and enjoy every second.
Like this young woman did, it is time for us to take a step back and re-focus. If we do this, we just might be able to achieve happiness right now; enjoy the journey and take it all in.
As we enter in to the last part of January, I invite you to re-evaluate the goals and resolutions you made on New Years Eve. As you work towards those goals of getting healthy or finding a new job, stop, taking a moment, and look around. Give thanks to where you are today and enjoy the steps along the way.
“Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.” – Arthur Ashe
Enjoy each and every moment!
DL,
Stacy
Stacy Nadeau is a brave Dove “Real Woman” who stood proudly along with 5 other women in her underwear in the summer of 2005 as part of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. Today, Stacy shares her experience in her keynote presentation “Embrace Real Beauty.” For more information about Stacy visit her website at http://www.stacynadeau.com/
