As I was pulling out of my driveway this morning, I (softly) rear-ended my neighbor’s recycling bin, and when I was crossing through an intersection two minutes later, my coffee mug decided to leak on my chiffon blouse. Something tells me this isn’t how Amelia Earhart started the morning.
The fact of the matter is that while cars and coffee makers make us feel like we can do more and more stuff, we’re just as human as Amelia. We make mistakes and we drop the ball sometimes. So, today’s First Thought is simple: You can’t juggle everything, so don’t pick up as many balls.
WOMEN IN NUMBERS: 80 Percent
Hey, ladies, do you love your job? Is your career turning out the way you planned in college? Do you ever feel burned out and ready for a career change, even if that essentially means starting over? Well, if your current gig leaves you with a sense of dissatisfaction or dread, know this: You are definitely not alone.
A Harris survey for the University of Phoenix found that 80 percent of American workers in their 20s already want to change careers. And that job malaise tends to stick with us throughout our careers, with 54 percent of Americans in their 40s saying the same thing. Sounds like there are a whole bunch of us who missed out on that whole dream-job thing.
WOMAN TO WATCH: Georgia Pellegrini, Cookbook Author, Chef, Girl Hunter, Speaker, Owner of Adventure Getaways
Georgia Pellegrini is the kind of woman other women admire. She’s unforgivingly adventurous, worked incredibly hard for her success and staunchly believes self-sufficiency is the ultimate girl power. Who can argue with that?
This stylish chick has carved out the ideal career for herself, and even though it’s often been messy work, she’s definitely not afraid to get her hands dirty. She landed an impressive position on Wall Street right out of college. It was the stuff of dreams, with private-car services and free concert tickets, but Georgia, a sharp-witted and free-spirited farm girl, found the corporate life just didn’t suit her. So, after about a year, she left.
Though Georgia’s next step wasn’t exactly clear, she knew she wanted to do something that allowed her to tap into her creativity, and culinary school fulfilled that need. After graduating, she applied her newly acquired craft at esteemed restaurants in New York, as well as the culinary mecca of France, where, while basking in the glow of beautiful natural surroundings, Georgia developed a strong connection to the land. She got back to her roots, cultivating a philosophy she calls the field-to-stream-to-table movement.
Georgia also taught herself how to hunt, further employing that self-sufficiency. And while working as a chef, she discovered another talent: writing. A friend connected her to a book agent, and before long, Georgia had added “published author” to her list of life accomplishments. Three best-selling books later, what’s next for this fearless heroine? More adventure, of course. This time, with her totally unique and inspiring business, Adventure Getaways, which offers cool wilderness retreats aimed at empowering women to try new things, like hunting, fly-fishing, cooking wild game and other hands-on, life-changing experiences.
This nonconforming empowerment guru is opening women’s eyes to a whole new world of possibilities, and by committing wholeheartedly to every new passion, Georgia serves as proof that women are fully capable of achieving whatever dreams we darn well please!
QUITE THE QUOTE
Wherever you are on your path to empowerment, you can likely relate to this anonymous quote:
“You are allowed to be a masterpiece and a work in progress simultaneously.”
This is Melinda Garvey signing off until next time. Remember, ladies, empowered women empower other women. Share On the Dot so more women can have a voice. Thanks for getting ready with us.
To learn more about our conversation, check us out at OnTheDotWoman.com and talk to us @OnTheDotWoman on Twitter and Instagram. We’d love to hear your voice.