Today, I’m sharing one of my most embarrassing stories of all time – and how it relates to your wellness journey. Prepare to laugh a little and cry a little as I share my story about putting in the work, and help shift another mindset around your wellness journey. After this episode, you’ll be able to let go of toxic mindsets around time… so you can ditch all that stress and anxiety you’ve been feeling.
Disclaimer: This podcast does not constitute medical advice. You should always speak to your doctor before changing your nutrition or exercise habits.
SHOW NOTES:
Continue the Conversation – Rock Your Wellness Podcast Official Facebook Group
Work With Me: Your Daily Journal – Cracking The Wellness Code – Wellness Reborn
PUTTING IN THE WORK – EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
This story starts with me standing on stage in a glittering gown, a spotlight on me and my face in a microphone. I was standing next to a host who had just asked me a question about the fine arts. You see, I was 17 years old and I was a contestant in a local pageant for the Miss America Scholarship program.
As part of the pageant, I had to choose a social platform to support and mine was “Support The Arts.” I looked out at the hundreds of faces staring at me, and felt panic starting to rise in my throat. I can’t remember the question the emcee had asked me, but I do know that I was freaking out and had no idea what to say.
I felt the blood start to rush to my face. Thoughts were coming together, but none of them were intelligible. I knew what I wanted the audience to understand, which is that the arts make up part of the fundamental fabric of our country…. But it wasn’t coming together. I tried to be relatable. I tried to be articulate.
Instead, I said something about pop up ads. Yup, you heard me right friend. Popup ads. I can’t remember exactly what I said, but I definitely tried to convey the importance of the arts by talking about pop ups on websites. I remember saying something like “Art is everywhere – just look at pop ups.” Yes, my friend, it was a crash and burn moment. Crash and burn.
After the pageant, I changed back into my “regular” clothes and walked out to meet my family. My face was burning and I kept looking at my feet. Every time someone looked at me, I knew they were thinking “Oh, there’s that pop-up ad girl.” I wasn’t yet at the point in my life where I could let anything and everything roll off my back, so it was so very painful.
After that moment, I knew I had to get fierce. I may have just been 17 years old, but I started attending Toastmasters – a public speaking club that focuses on preparation for both prepared speeches and impromptu speaking.
I took every chance I could to get in front of people and, let me tell you, that pop-up speech had some competition for the trophy for “Lauren’s Worst Speaking Moment.” I even did things like teaching gym classes for local middle schools – let me tell you, middle schoolers are a tough crowd.
And you know what, it paid off. Just over 3 years later, I won a local title and went on to the state competition, where I was crowned Miss Connecticut. I did the weather forecast on our local news network and routinely spoke in front of large groups.
I continued practicing my speaking well into my 20s, even rejoining Toastmasters when I was pregnant with my first child. I did a district competition when I was 5 months pregnant, and still have a photo of my beautiful baby belly with my trophy.
Flash forward more than 9 years later, and I routinely speak in front of audiences of hundreds of people, go live on social media and more.
And you know what people say to me now? You’re such a natural speaker. You were made for this. You’re so lucky to be able to speak the way you do.
Friend, I’m here to tell you that you have to put in the time… and, furthermore, behind every “amazing” person you know who is so “naturally gifted” is somebody who put in the work when you weren’t looking.
You know what the most amazing news in?
Putting in the work is for everyone.
And it’s for everything.
There’s absolutely nothing that this is more true about than wellness. You have to put in the work and, just like learning to be a trained speaker, different methods and different coaches will get you better results than others.