A popular philosophy in the past has been to try making lemonade out of lemons. Join Melody Stevens as she shares her story ” The Best Advice I Ever Received ” and how it helped her on the road to reinventing herself.
Written By Melody Stevens
The best advice I ever received was when I attended a conference with speaker Les Hewitt. He said, “In order to be really successful, you have to drop all your bad habits.”
Although I was thinking it was a strange thing to say, it piqued my curiosity. What if that was really true?
I didn’t start consciously dropping bad habits until a year later (2008) after recession hit, taking 30% of my business with it, I turned 40 and my father passed away tragically way too young. My finances were in the toilet, I was hanging out with some really negative people, and I was food, diet, and weight obsessed.
To “make lemonade out of lemons” as has always been my philosophy, I decided that I would get my act together so hard that I would be almost unrecognizable to myself. I started thinking, what if Les Hewitt was right?
So I turned to a professional, a counselor who specializes in addiction recovery. I wanted to drop my worst habits which were related to food, diet and weight. I wanted to get off the roller coaster ride of yo yo dieting and the poor self esteem that goes with it. I worked hard in counseling and also with a support group for food addiction, and I got myself an accountability buddy.
Through that work that I still do 5 years later, I have been free, most of the time, of weight obsession and I’ve stopped, for the most part, that inferiority complex where I felt everyone else was right and I was missing the boat. I’ve also dropped or healed all negative relationships that I’m aware of…with friends, family, colleagues and employees.
It’s not been easy and the road to reinvention hasn’t been a straight one. Lots of ups and downs, failures and successes, and lots of twists and turns. For example, my diet hasn’t been nearly perfect and for several months I failed to exercise. However, I never gave up on myself and persistence paid off.
Along the way I learned to not let fear stop me from making the requests I need to make, ask questions, listen and be open to the answers no matter what they may be. I used to be afraid of how people would react to me or what they would think. Now I know I can handle whatever life throws at me.
The results? My weight is down, my self respect is way up, and my business has not only turned around, I’ve started two new ventures that are turning out to be wildly successful! For the first time in my life I have a very, very clear path to some truly crazy business success.
And, I’ve written a book called Become a Time Millionaire: 100 Ways to Gain an Extra Hour a Day! It made the Amazon Bestsellers list on the day it launched this past December.
Oh, and that husband of mine that I was finding so annoying years ago? He’s now super sexy! What happened? He didn’t change. I did!
Additionally, that daughter of mine that I couldn’t discipline? I now feel that I have her respect.
So, apparently Les Hewitt was right. And here’s the good news: I discover bad habits to drop every day, and I have learned that i will never be rid of them completely. Hence, I know that as long as I act courageously and ditch the habitual action, I can continue on the path of success!
Identity Magazine is all about empowering women to get all A’s in the game of life — Accept. Appreciate. Achieve.TM Every contributor and expert answer the Identity 5 questions in keeping with our theme. As a team, we hope to inspire and motivate ourselves and inspire you to get all A’s.
What have you accepted in your life that took time, physically or mentally?
I have accepted that the only things I have control over are my own actions and reactions. Everything else is wildly out of my control. This includes how others react to me, how fast money comes into my business and how quickly I lose weight. I can influence these things through my actions, but ultimately they are out of my hands.
What do you appreciate about yourself and within your life?
I appreciate my courage and ability to learn, grow and change. I appreciate that I am certain that I’m on a path of self improvement and that effects all aspects of my life.
What is one of your most rewarding achievements in life? What goals do you still have?
One of the most rewarding achievements in my life is writing and publishing my book “Become a Time Millionaire: 100 Ways to Gain an Extra Hour a Day.” It’s a way I can share my heart and hopefully help many many others in a big way.
What is your not-so-perfect way? What imperfections and quirks create your Identity?
My not so perfect way is that I tend to leave things behind. My computer bag, credit cards, my keys, cell phone, my pocketbook…. Thank goodness the world is full of good people. I’ve been this way all my life. Certainly this is not my best quality but I’ve accepted that this is my not so perfect way.
How would you complete the phrase “I Love My…?”
I love my life!
