Blog 15 - An Inspirational Woman - Lillian Carter

I don't think about risks much. I just do what I want to do. If you gotta go, you gotta go. ~Lillian Carter~ Every time I think that I'm getting old, and gradually going to the grave, something else happens. ~Lillian Carter~ If I had one wish for my children, it would be that each of them would reach for goals that have meaning for them as individuals. ~Lillian Carter~ Some of my young classmates probably don’t know who Lillian Carter is – she died before many of you were born. She was the mother of President Jimmy Carter and somewhat of a “character” in her time, doing her own thing and speaking her mind without much consideration for what other people might think. She was born in 1998 in Georgia and in 1917, at the age of 19, she volunteered to be a nurse in World War I (without any nursing training!) but the military nurse program was cancelled and she didn’t go. She completed her nursing degree in Atlanta in 1923. Her family disapproved of her career choice, but she forged ahead with it anyway, then met and married her husband in 1925,after her graduation from nursing school. She defied social norms by welcoming African American neighbors into her home and she provided medical care as a nurse practitioner (at times illicitly!) for both African American and White employees of her husbands business and for the community of Plains, GA. She was a liberal social activist who worked for desegregation in a time and place where that point of view was highly irregular and unpopular. In 1966, at the age of 68, she applied to the Peace Corp, and after a psychiatric evaluation, she was accepted and was sent to India for 22 months, where she worked as a nurse to those who were desperately poor and sick, including those with leprosy. “Miz” Lillian was greatly loved by those she served all her life and she loved and supported each of her children no matter what road in life they chose to travel. She left a legacy of service and an example of determination to do what she knew was right, no matter what the opinion of those around her. It’s people like Lillian Carter who help me know that “age is just a number, and old is just a state of mind.” As she said, “I don’t think about risks much. I just do what I want to do. If you gotta go, you gotta go.” REFERENCE: Wikipedia. Lillian Gordy Carter. 28 September 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillian_Gordy_Carter

Blog 14 - Finding balance

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman, American theologian. Finding balance in our lives is critical if we are to be happy, contented and fulfilled. Many women spend years striving and struggling to meet the expectations and goals of society and of other people, then wake up one day and find that their own goals and dreams were entirely different than those they fought so hard to realize. The first essential step to finding balance is to define what is most important to YOU personally. That might be a college degree, or masters or doctorate, or being a stay-at-home Mom with a large family or maybe having a successful and lucrative career – or maybe all of those things. The critical part of this step is to make it personal, not allowing others to define what is important to you. When the step of defining what’s important is finished, then make a plan and a timetable – this can be very detailed or more general, based on what is comfortable for you personally. Another important way to maintain balance is to learn to say no to requests that will cause you to be over-committed. Agreeing to do things that we don’t have time or energy for (or a passion for!) is a major cause of frustration, fatigue and imbalance for most women. Women should also make sure that there are periods of time in their schedules for personal renewal. The amount of time you allow for this is very individual – some women require more than others. This personal renewal time might be for reading, hobbies, a pedicure, a walk, watching a TV show or just spending time alone or with a friend. Another important step is to pursue intellectual renewal – a refreshed mind is an energized and balanced mind. Lifelong learning will keep each of us young and strong. Spiritual renewal is also important – this is very personal and individual for each woman, because each of us is spiritual in different ways. I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and I pray and meditate often, but others may find this spiritual renewal through different avenues. This important thing is to add this step to your quest for balance. As a woman who has been through many phases of life, I would just encourage each of you, as you seek balance, to define what’s important to you, then live your dream and wear your passion every day, making sure that the dreams and passions are your own, NOT those someone else may have defined for you.