Megan Dalla-Camina - Getting Real About Having it All: Be Your Best, Love Your Career and Bring Back Your Sparkle

Getting Real About
Having It All

Copyright 2012 by Megan Dalla-Camina

Published and distributed in Australia by: Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd.: www.hayhouse.com.au

Published and distributed in the United States by: Hay House, Inc.: www.hayhouse.com

Published and distributed in the United Kingdom by: Hay House UK, Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.uk

Published and distributed in South Africa by: Hay House SA (Pty), Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.za

Distributed in Canada by: Raincoast: www.raincoast.com

Published in India by: Hay House Publishers India: www.hayhouse.co.in

Design by Rhett Nacson
Typeset by Simon Paterson
Edited by Margie Tubbs
Author photo by Jacqui Way Photograhy

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording, nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private useother than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviewswithout prior written permission of the publisher.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice nor prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature, to help you in your quest for physical fitness and good health. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

ISBN: 978-1-4019-3849-9
Digital ISBN: 978-1-4019-3377-7

15 14 13 12 4 3 2 1
1st Australian edition, November 2012

Printed in Australia by McPhersons Printing Group

For women everywhere, who dream of a life overflowing with passion, career love, wellbeing and space to breathe. Its all waiting for you. May you find everything you are looking for.

AND

For Luca, my gorgeous boy. You are my greatest gift, and my greatest teacher. To the moon and back doesnt even begin to cover it.

S o this is where we are. Really? Is this it? I know this is what many of us are thinking. After all the work, the effort, the sacrifices, and the lessons of those who have come before us, why havent we figured it all out yet?

Its not as if its that hard; working out how to have the career we want, while living the life we love, and being well in the process. Finding that miracle of work-life-balance. Discovering how to have the perfect relationship, while having the perfect hair, the power career, the angelic children, oh and of course, the line-free face and the killer figure. Havent you sorted that out yet? Arent we done already?

Sigh. Cant you just hear the collective sigh of a generation? Many generations. Amazing women, who have worked so hard, tried so hard, played by the rules (mostly) and achieved great success with more to come, but are still yet to arrive. And at what cost? What is the cost of all of this striving?

I look around at my contemporaries, women who are powerful in their own right; women who inspire and amaze me with all they do and all they have achieved; women who have started businesses while raising children and running charities and being good wives and sisters and daughters and employees. And while I marvel at their successes, for the most part I worry about the hidden, unspoken truth that lies just beneath. Because for many of us, it is the sheer exhaustion that comes with it all. Exhaustion from the striving, the struggling, the never-ending juggling. And the exhaustion that comes from the fear that maybe, just maybe, it will still never be enough.

And what does that mean? That even with all of the careful planning, the work and the sacrifices, it may still not be enough? Well, lets start with what is enough. For whom and by what measure? The measure that society places on success is so unachievable, so unattainable, that no amount of striving will ever get us there. We will always strive, never to arrive, and always to feel, if we are honest, just a little bit cheated.

So, have you had enough of this already? I know I have. Its time for a change. Its time to create positive change. And we are the only ones who can do it. We can no longer wait for the change to come. As Gandhi said, we have to be the change.

And so, if you are willing, it starts here with a new journey. This journey is one of empowerment. It is one of inspiration. It is a journey of understanding and releasing what may not have worked in the past, celebrating what is working in the present, and dreaming and planning what amazing things can be ahead in the future. As the poster on my wall says, its time to pull up your big girl panties and just get on with it!

So what does just get on with it look like, I hear you ask? Its time for us to create the lives we were born to live. Yes, I know that is all very Oprah of me, but she says it for a reason, right? We are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the ones who know ourselves, who can understand what we want; know what we are willing to give to get; know how we really want to balance work and play; know how we want to support our families and nurture our relationships. And we are the only ones who can really dream what our lives could look like, if only we are brave enough to hope for it.

I have written this book as a memo to generations of amazing, inspirational women who need a little support and nurturing, some encouragement to dare to dream, and to dare to plan that dream. Whether you are 25 or 45, single and starting out or married with four kids; working in a big corporation, a small government department, or running your own show; I hope this book can help you get from where you are today, to where you dream of being. I get asked all the time what having it all looks like. I know what it looks like for me, but I cant define it for you. Having it all is not a one stop shop. It is your choice. It is entirely up to you to decide what that looks like. You decide that part, and Ill happily and humbly be your guide and companion on the journey, and throw in the getting real truth, to keep you on the path.

Im not writing this book from a place of being an expert, or someone who is perfect and knows and does it all. I write it from a place of passion, of wanting to share my lessons, so that it may help and support you on your journey. We are not perfect. I most certainly am not. And we need not strive for perfection. Who needs that pressure, and it is not possible anyway! We just need to let ourselves be real, do the best we can or, as Wayne Dyer says, just be. Full stop. What else is there?

So, lets get busy and have some fun. This book is in three parts. Part One looks at bringing out your personal best so that you are coming from a place of personal knowing and strength. This is really the only place to build from, especially when building a strong career and a fulfilling personal life. Part Two looks at how to build and shape a career that you love, and it provides some of the tools and support you need to do that. And Part Three guides you in the right direction to create true wellbeing in your life. This is the part that most women I know struggle with. With so much else to do, the well woman in us all is often left wanting. Desperately. Actually, she is dying on the vine, lets be honest! Well, I say, enough already. Its time to nourish the Goddess, because if she isnt up to it, everyone else can just pack their bags right now and go on home!