When you were a child, adults asked “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Maybe your parents saw you playing with another child and talked about you getting married to them one day. The expectations start young. They become ingrained and automatic, interwoven throughout our thoughts, driving our behaviors. Some expectations are stated explicitly, like when your mom says she wants you to start giving her grand babies or when your board says they need you to start hitting higher revenue targets.
As a young woman in my 20’s, I struggled each day with who I was. I didn’t know my purpose because I was still learning my strengths and weaknesses, and most of all, just who Judy really was. Mistakes from my teenage years followed me into my 30’s where I still wasn’t sure why God put me on this earth. I didn’t go to college, so I was seeking to develop viable skills. I got my real estate license and “flipped” houses.
What does it take to reach a dream? Planning, preparation, action. Time, energy, motivation. I tend to think of dreams as big long-term goals. You might dream of starting your own company, getting married, or retiring early. When you begin planning and preparing, you may realize there are many smaller goals to reach before you get to the big dream, with steps to take for each smaller goal. You may succeed sometimes, fail other times, and still reach the larger goal.
At 52, Dr. Priti Patel has not only embraced each chapter of her own life with grace, but she’s also dedicated her career to helping other women do the same. As the co-founder of Revitalize SkinMD, Waco’s #1 voted medspa, Dr. Patel blends medical expertise with a deeply personal philosophy: aging beautifully is less about chasing youth and more about feeling at home in your own skin.
