What’s YOUR dream?
“Your life unfolds in proportion to your courage. ”
It’s not about me.
This website is dedicated to all the book’s warriors that made sacrifices and overcame rejection, setbacks, obstacles, disappointment, depression, tears, sleepless nights, anxiety, horrible bosses, and bizarre family members. Without your stories, we couldn’t encourage each other. When I told these warriors that I was writing a book and wanted their story – they believed me. They believed that I was going to pull it off. They willingly jumped on Team Doug, and said “let’s go!” A simple thank you is an understatement.
As F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “For what it’s worth: it’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over.”
Dr Catie Walker O’Neal:
“I began to hear Doug’s passion for writing this book and his ‘popcorn theory.’ Now, as a family scientist, a good theory is fascinating, and his piqued my interest. My training teaches me to question any theory’s veracity, and test and authenticate it, even at a basic level. For instance, I began to weigh the theory proposition with my own experiences and previous research I have read or conducted…He’s on to something, I remember thinking.
“And so, my thesis is a simple statement – it’s an endorsement for the ideas and theory of my friend, Doug, from both of the ‘hats’ I wear: that of Dr. O’Neal, the academic, and Catie, the everyday mom/wife. Doug is a genuine and real person in a relatively superficial world, with a knack for seeing people for who they really are, and all sides of them. The ideas and narratives he shares in this book are examples of him ‘seeing’ people, noticing they have a story to tell, motivating them to tell it, and curating the telling of their stories in a manner that facilitates their own growth, and hopefully, the growth of others. What academics have termed a ‘growth mindset’ (Dweck, 2015) and ‘grit’ (Duckworth, 2016), Doug has made into his life outlook. May we all have a passion for lifelong learning.
“It’s the intersection of risk and resilience where the real transformations happen…what Andy Stanley may call “the messy middle.” You see, resilience is defined as experiencing crisis or stress and overcoming it, to either a) return to baseline (pre-crisis) functioning, or b) exceed baseline functioning.
“That second part (b) has also been referred to as post-traumatic growth – the idea that exposure to trauma (or for the sake of argument, crisis/hardship more generally) can not only be overcome, but can spur personal development that will enrich a person’s life beyond what it had been, pre-trauma.
“As a society, we are quick to adopt these sorts of ideas when it comes to physical injury/improvement, but less so when it comes to less obvious stress. Examples of physical pain mottos: No pain, no gain; no guts, no glory.”*
This book is eleven stories about getting back on track. At any age.
The purpose of this book, and myself as a keynote speaker, is to find your mentor, and to give you hope and encouragement to make it through whatever stumbling blocks you have. Somebody has been in your shoes. Somebody has overcome the obstacles you are facing right now. I want you to get inspired that you can change your mindset, change your direction, and change your life. In this book, you will hear my story, as well as the stories of my friends, business associates and neighbors. I hope you can identify with one, or more, of them.
When I announced in August 2016, at age fifty-four, that I signed up to begin my MBA, I was fortunate to be showered with a hundred percent positive encouragement. Several people my age said they couldn’t do it. They couldn’t go back to school. They were impressed that I was stepping up to the long road ahead. In June of 2020 I finished my degree, and I’m excited to share my story with you.
What’s your dream? Chapter 2? Version 2.0, 3.0, or maybe it’s 5.5? What is your timeline? Is it a someday goal or is it a “we got to get this done” goal? Let's make today day one. Let’s get you to believe in you. You can read the book or book the speaker.
Welcome to MBAat58.com.
*Dr. Catherine Walker O’Neal, Ph.D. is an Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at the University of Georgia.
