THIS ONE’S FOR THE GIRLS…

Diane Curley

This One’s For The Girls… (an abridged version of my signature talk “To Your Success!”)

Are you searching for success?

Will you know it when you see it?

Is it possessions? Power? Awards?

What exactly does success look like?

Wealth? Beauty? Fame?

Where can you find success?

The corner office? At home? Hollywood?

How is success measured?

The sums of our highs and lows?

Achievements? Credentials? Titles?

And who decides? Society? Media? The patriarchy?

What do you have to do to be successful?

Hustle? Sacrifice? Sell your soul?

As women we all feel the pressure to succeed with every facet of our being, on every stage, and in every season of our lives.

Is it attainable?

It is exhausting.

But what if we take the road less traveled, explore the possibilities & redefine success for ourselves?

What if the definition of success included our impact?

What if our success was aligned with our values?

What if success was found in all the moments and not the momentum? Or the money?

What if success was not measured by what society says about us and instead was measured by what God says about us?

Could it be that we are actually more successful than we had thought?

Using the word “success” as an acronym I will share my personal definition of success and invite you to redefine success on your own terms!

Discover how success can be deeply personal and diverse, reflecting your own individual values, passions, and priorities. S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

Simplify…when my life feels like uncontrollable chaos I certainly don’t feel successful. So I have learned to simplify in order to reduce chaos, to create peace in my life, which I value greatly.

Quite simply, I simplify my life in the moment. Some days are just too much to take even one day at a time. That’s when I pause & take the day one moment at a time. No pressure, just one moment at a time. Take back your power with a pause. Create calm over chaos. Success!

Undo…whatever’s not working, undo it! Try taking a step back, try something new, or try again. Mistakes will be made, lessons will be learned.

Pause. Rise. Begin again.

Success!

Crave…

Christ/Connection/Community

What do you crave?

Who do you love?

It’s your choice…you decide!

For me it’s all three…Christ, connection, and community. With Christ at the center of my life, with my life aligned to His Word, with my worth firmly held by who Jesus says I am, then I am free. Free to live, free to love. I love freely, I love boldly, and I love out loud. My life is filled with joy and purpose because my heart is full of love and connected to Christ, to others, and to the global community.

Success!

Celebrate…

I love to celebrate!

Sure we celebrate weddings, graduations, holidays, birthdays, etc. Aligned with my passion for celebration we also celebrated my child passing math, the first pair of glasses, a new job, power outages, Saturday mornings, a warm summer night, setting up the backyard at the first sign of spring, the first snow of the season, and on and on. My favorite way to celebrate others (or celebrate with another) is to say, “Congratulations! Celebrating YOU today!”

Success!

Empowered…I’ve spoken and written on the topic of women’s empowerment many times and it bears repeating here:

“We are not here for your entertainment.” We are here for equity and equality. We are here to change the status quo, to challenge the messaging, to reject the double standard and the hypocrisy that continues to exist.

We exist together, in community. Let our words and actions reflect this relationship.

We need to shift our focus to all of us. We need to speak up. We need to be heard. We need to be visible. We need to listen. We need to learn from each other. We need to create a platform of inclusiveness. We need to become champions of each other.

“Empowered women empower women.”

Success!

Social impact…

Kindness, service, & love. These are simple ways to impact the lives of others and society as a whole in a positive way.

I am grateful that as a Registered Nurse by profession, my role is innately one of service to others and resonates with love and impact.

But all of us can and do create impact daily. Make kindness part of your everyday life. Lead with compassion in your family, in your congregation, and in your communities.

I encourage you to use your talent & time engaged in love, kindness and service to others. There are many ways you are most likely already making an impact!

Success!

Support…we all know how important it is to be supported & supportive, yet it is not always part of our lives & experiences. It’s up to each of us to change that. To challenge that. To use every opportunity to be of support.

A simple way to be supportive is to be available; to listen, to share, to comfort, to console, to care, to connect. Also be bold and brave enough to ask for the support you need!

Modeling this behavior will normalize receiving, giving, and asking for support.

Ultimately, success can be found in the joy (happiness!) that comes from the faithful mission of living out our purpose; what we are called to do.

I’ll be celebrating you today as you redefine success for yourself. Reflect on what truly matters to you, include your impact, aligned with your values, measured by all the moments, and defined by who God says you are.

Cheers to a fulfilling and meaningful life!

To your success!