Happy Birthday to My Shero, Jacqueline Qualls!

I first met this gutsy lady in 2014 in Nashville but she made a huge impression on me way before I ever met her in person.

Her courage and commitment are such and inspiration to so many women (and men) who are looking for a way to break that glass ceiling & live their lives to the fullest !

I 💙 these beautiful words from Jacquie.

(I think about Maeley’s future and this is so true! )

Jacquie said:

“As children, many of us had fantasies or even goals of being an actor, singer, dancer, artist, or musician. In some cases, we received enough encouragement to develop our abilities in those creative areas, but somewhere along the way we stopped.

This stopping may have been due to circumstances beyond our control or to our own unconscious acts of self-sabotage.

Being creative can be scary in a world that seems to value logic over imagination and dreaming.

We can forgive ourselves for shutting down or turning our attention away from our inner artist, but perhaps we can also take steps to reclaim our dreams.

In certain times, like Kindergarten for instance, developing a creative ability was considered an important part of being a well-rounded human being. It was not necessary to be a professional or a masterly genius, because the act of creativity was valued in and of itself, the sheer pleasure of allowing our imaginations free reign to sharing and enjoying the fruits of our labor.

Children share drawings and songs freely, without self-consciousness, and there is no reason why we cannot do the same thing.

You may already be remembering some lost form of expression, such as making jewelry or writing songs. Your soul may be responding with a lift as it feels its way back to a time when it was allowed to express itself freely.

Your brain, on the other hand, may be throwing up obstacles, like the idea that you are too old or do not have the time.

The truth is, you are not too old, and if you have time to pick up a pen, you have time to make a doodle or write a poem or anything else your heart desires.

Recognize that the obstacles you find before you have come from a place of fear and that they lose their power every time you do something creative.

Each creative act takes you deeper into a beauty and magic that you have every right to return to and reclaim.

Allow yourself to dream again. 

No matter where you are in life today, no matter what your age or ability, Rodan + Fields is a business that can fulfill dreams.

Set your sites high and your goals big.

Take a moment and step back into your childhood and remember those times when you thought and knew anything or everything was possible.

You didn’t have fear holding you back or that voice saying “it’s not possible”.

You felt free with your dreams.

We have something so special, a moment in time, a chance to chase dreams and change lives.

Unleash any fear you have today. Make the rest of your life count. This is your chance to do something extraordinary.

Don’t let it slip away….grasp it with all your might and chase your dream! It’s within your reach! “

I read a very inspiring book in which Jacquie’s life story was featured titled “Is This Seat Taken?” by Kristin S. Kaufman. This book is filled with stories of people who came to a “fork in the road,” faced challenging circumstances, and were able to transform their lives as Jacquie has. It’s a Powerful Read ! I highly recommend it.

Life is short and moving forward with or without you. As we learned during the past few years, we need to be intentional about what we do in this life and not waste the time we have.

Whatever it is that you’ve had on your heart to start this year, make a plan and do it.

That’s why I started this blog…

What is it that you’ve been wanting to do in your life but have been putting off?