The Courage to Become | Rachel Lily Campbell
There are so many “things” I have accomplished in my short 33 years of existence. I have had a lot of life experiences that have been teaching, growth producing, fun, hard and joyful. You could say I’ve had a pretty full life up until now. So, as I was reflecting on what I truly feel the most proud of, it’s the absolute certainty of who I am as a woman, that only comes from the experiences life brings.
Being a girl is tough. From birth we are held to a lot of expectations that only get more and more intricate as we get older. Motherhood is no different. Combine the pressure and the expectations of womanhood and motherhood, and the lack of genuine support I believe all woman need, it’s TOUGH.
So, we learn to cope right? We settle because that’s what we think we are supposed to do. We stay in careers that don't challenge us, under bosses that don’t value us. Or, we stay in relationships that don’t serve us; we don't set clear boundaries of how we expect to be treated, and we feel guilty when we do finally speak up. We give in to the pressures of the media, and dishonor our bodies with erratic eating habits. We workout as punishment for our bodies betraying us, instead of celebration for what it has done for us. I have been ALL of these places. I have been all of these versions. Until, I was forced, to become who I was meant to be.
I want to tell you that I had this super epic “a-ha” moment and I was brave and blasted through low self esteem and came out victorious and now I’m about to share with you the secret “I LOVE LIFE” potion. But, that’s not my story. I was FORCED to be brave, and in that journey of becoming, is where I found the courage to finally, and unapologetically be me.
Tell us a little bit about yourself:
I was born and raised in LA and NYC to 2 very nontraditional artsy parents. I was painstakingly insecure - but very outgoing, which was a confusing mixture for me growing up. I struggled for years with debilitating eating disorders, that almost killed me. I found recovery a few times but nothing permanent until I gave birth to my son 3 years ago.
Pre-motherhood I worked for 10 years in the beauty industry before I got married to a conservative football loving, country boy, and desperately tried to fit the mold of the small town housewife. Fast forward a year or so later, I was suffocated and had completely lost my sense of self, but I was pregnant with my baby boy, the baby boy who would soon turn me into a mommy, which was the most soul shattering, earth crushing rebirth of my own self.
What was one thing you always dreamt of doing, were afraid to do, but did anyway?
This question is tough. I still dream of doing big things. Helping others in HUGE ways, and really changing the world.
But on a smaller scale, when I was married, I just knew the marriage I was in wasn’t for me. This baby boy inside of me deserved a mommy who was sure of who she was. Living in her authentic self. I was such a shell of who I knew I was made to be. I knew I needed to rebuild, and I couldn’t do it there. My son's father and I decided to divorce when he was just 4 months old. I moved to Austin and started a business, all while still in the throws of new motherhood, cluster feedings, sleepless nights, and my divorce.
How did it feel getting started?
I wasn’t scared. Maybe it was the adrenaline, I think I was in survival mode. Failure wasn’t an option. I believed in what I was doing. I knew it would help me, I knew it would help others, and I knew I could do it.
Tell us about some of the obstacles you faced when you got started?
Every new business venture has obstacles. I knew there would be financial hardship in the beginning, but I failed to realize that this was MY business, this was something I was SO passionate about. Not everyone would share this sentiment initially, so I was really disappointed when the first few months I was in business, I literally had not one client. I couldn’t figure out why every single other mom wasn’t on my level of excitement here. Throw in a few weeks of EPIC storms and flooding, it made for a miserable first quarter in business.
What motivates you?
My son. Hands down, he is my hero. Becoming a mother transformed me. It brought about a version of me that is stronger and braver than I ever knew. He is the reason for so many decisions in my personal and professional life, and being accountable for raising a human from the ground up is not only humbling but it has been the absolute joy of my lifetime.
Which living person do you most admire?
Oh I feel like I have so many answers to this! I admire so many different people, for so many different reasons. I would have to say all of the moms I know. We truly are a different breed of superhero. The selflessness that goes into motherhood, is HEROIC. Every single mother I have the opportunity to know, inspire me.
Which talent would you most like to have?
I wish I could dance. Like really dance. Think Janet Jackson. Yes, that would be amazing!
What is your most marked characteristic?
I would say my energy and my enthusiasm for life is what I get complimented the most on. I am just as PUMPED about a new flavor of coffee creamer as I am when my son learns a new skill!
What is your motto?
I cannot take credit for this, as it’s by one of my favorite authors, Marianne Williamson but I have lived by this for so many years, “We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
What are some things you are proud to have accomplished?
Starting and growing my business and raising my son. I’m sure there is more, but right now, in this season of life, these are at the forefront of my accomplishments
What keeps you going when you feel like you are knee deep in mud?
God, wine, girlfriends. IN THAT ORDER.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to women who are about to embark on the journey you are on?
You are capable of amazing things. We, as women, were built for so much more that we think. Just keep swimming.
Rachel is real and she is joy and she is a gift!!!! If you're in the Austin area - check out class opportunities here on the web site and for some daily feel good and motivation - follow Stroller Strides on Instagram and Facebook.
You will be so grateful to be part such a wonderful community of mamas lead by such an amazing spirit!
Hi friend!
I'm Catia, a woman, wife, mama, sister, sister friend, you know -- I wear a million hats just like you.
One of my biggest whys is that I want people to feel good about ALL of who they are. Including you.
The threads running through all my work (I’m an author - The Courage to Become, I’m a motivational speaker - TEDx, Choose Joy or Die , I am a private coach ) are hope, joy and empowerment.
If I could choose ten words that best describe me I would say: honest, welcoming, giving, curious, loving, earnest, empathetic, spiritual, playful, and sassy. Let's add: adventurous. That's 11.
Nice to meet you!
Want to start feeling really good but not sure where to start? Jump on into our virtual classroom (complimentary of course!) and get a weekly guide on how to walk with confidence and joy! You are divine. You are magic. I look forward to serving you!
Confidence + Joy Weekly Guide
The Courage to Become | Dala Thomas McDevitt
“If you can’t tolerate critics, don’t do anything new or interesting” –Jeff Bezos.
I had done everything I was supposed to. Graduated high school with honors and got into the University of Texas at Austin. Responsibly worked throughout college and maintained a 3.8 GPA. Graduated in 4 years and got a job as a Labor & Delivery Nurse. Took out a lease on a Honda Civic, and began paying off the impressive student loan debt I had accrued in my pursuit of happiness. I hated Mondays and drank on Fridays, just like everyone else.
My life was cookie-cutter perfect on the outside, but inside there was an ever-present emotion of discontent and disconnect with “who” I was. Recently out of a bad relationship and living alone for the first time in my life, there was never a better time for a fresh start. With little idea about what was going to make me happier, I decided to eat healthier and workout, as these were seemingly the societal go-to’s to “feel better”. It’s always the small things that end up being the bravest and biggest steps to self-discovery.
When I cut out the crap food, I wasn’t so tired all the time. When I cut out the alcohol, I wasn’t so hungover each morning. When I started working out, it sparked a relationship with my body that wasn’t rooted in shame and self-consciousness. As my body healed, my mind was revitalized and suddenly filled with curiosity and creativity. Now willingly rising with the sun each morning, I increased my productive time by 30% and had to seek out new hobbies. Because health had been the catalyst to this awakening, I dove deeper into the subject.
Knowledge became my mentor, my body my subject, experimentation my best friend, and, interestingly, Instagram my medium of expression. I voraciously explored audiobooks, documentaries, articles, blogs, YouTube videos, anything that helped me learn more about the mind-body connection and how to enhance it. I shared my experiences through Instagram, becoming increasingly open and public about my journey, my trails, and my errors.
My acquisition of knowledge slowly engulfed previously unreachable beliefs of self-worth, self-love, mindfulness, meditation, revolutionary ideas of sexuality, and the overwhelming realization that love is most powerful of all.
I was happier, healthier, more confident, and more positive than I had ever been in my life, so you can imagine my surprise when I began receiving more negativity from others than ever before.
I was told that my new comfortability with my body was slutty, that my fervor for health was an eating disorder, that my positive rhetoric was a guised cry for help, that my aversion to alcohol and junk food was seeded in obsessive vanity, that my new lotus tattoo was impulsive and self-destructive, and my new hair cut my Britney Spears meltdown moment. It was remarkable to see how many were threatened by my campaign to like myself.
How am I supposed to keep doing what is making me happy if my loved ones are telling me I’m in desperate need of help? Don’t they know me better than anyone? Shouldn’t I listen to them? Aren’t they just trying to help me?? The alienation I felt was profound.
As I submitted to the dark loneliness I perceived to be inevitable, I was shocked to find the loneliness was more of welcoming adventure. I was content to be alone because I, for the first time, enjoyed the company. I was okay exploring my next steps without the consultations and opinions of others because I didn’t feel I needed their approval anymore.
What a revelation! My name is Dala Thomas: I like myself, I trust myself, and I have within me the courage to become the very best and most loving woman I can be.
I used social media and devoted myself to disseminating ideas of positive body image and self-love, to the creation of meal plans and workout programs to guide others in improving health, and to online coaching so that perhaps I could help other alienated women feel safe and supported.
I began to live differently, to dress differently, to carry myself differently and to speak of myself differently as the joy I felt impregnated all facets of my life. I was bursting with affection and inspiration, and knew that I was never hurting anyone else despite what problems some took up with my new lifestyle.
I had finally learned how to share my light with the world, and it was this light that found Sean and brought him to me.
Strangers on social media became my closest allies. They did not ever know the “before” Dala, only the one they saw in front of them and therefore had no inherent aversion to my transformation. The only difference between these humans and the ones originally in my life was that they did not have to endure or understand change.
As a year came and went, I saw friends and family re-enter my life when the danger they purported disintegrated to a faint illusion. I thought accepting them again after so long would be difficult, but there was now so much peace in my life that forgiveness was second nature.
The most challenging part of my journey was finding the courage to become something other than what my closest friends and family already knew me as. People will warn you not to embark on a new journey, but only because they cannot yet see your destination, and fear is the most powerful motivator of all. Your path may go against the grain of your peers, but that not does mean it is wrong. The road to self-discovery may at times be lonely, but it is better to know yourself than to know a hundred others. Act in love, and you will never be lost.
This self-realized, joyful, life-giving women is what I had to find the courage to become. The “what” is not important here; we all can and should become thousands of different things. Courage itself is the vital ingredient, giving life to your dreams and a blind eye to doubt. Muster the courage to get to know yourself, and you will find your “what”. Then share it with the world and realize the true potential of how beautiful you can be.
Dala is partnering with Kendra Scott on September 6th. Kendra Scott is giving back %20 of proceeds to Hospitals! I will be there, Dala will be there and so will other amazing women. We'd love to see you there!
Kendra Scott - September 6th - 6-8pm - South Congress Location - Austin, Texas
If you'd like to keep up with Dala, and why wouldn't you? She is seriously so uplifting and empowering - find her on Instagram or on her web site. Side note - I am a student of her Booty Program - and IT WORKS! (Not sponsored - just genuinely enthusiastic) :)
Hi friend!
I'm Catia, a woman, wife, mama, sister, sister friend, you know -- I wear a million hats just like you.
One of my biggest whys is that I want people to feel good about ALL of who they are. Including you.
The threads running through all my work (I’m an author - The Courage to Become, I’m a motivational speaker - TEDx, Choose Joy or Die , I am a private coach ) are hope, joy and empowerment.
If I could choose ten words that best describe me I would say: honest, welcoming, giving, curious, loving, earnest, empathetic, spiritual, playful, and sassy. Let's add: adventurous. That's 11.
Nice to meet you!
Want to start feeling really good but not sure where to start? Jump on into our virtual classroom (complimentary of course!) and get a weekly guide on how to walk with confidence and joy! You are divine. You are magic. I look forward to serving you!
