What do you do when the devil on your shoulder whispers, “Oh, you can’t do that”?
My guest today is Jacqueline DePaul. Jacqueline holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and works as a consultant in the IT/Telecommunications industry. At the age of 38, she started an unlikely second career. Before we get straight into that, I asked Jacqueline, “What do you do when the devil says you can’t do that”
Watch the show here:
“My Little White Lie,” Jacqueline confessed, “was when the devil on my shoulder whispered ‘You can’t just start modeling now. That’s not what’s done. That’s not what’s proper.’”
Jacqueline went on to explain: “Ten years ago, when I was 38, my hobby outside of engineering was ballroom dancing. An injury forced me to give that up, and I could no longer express my artistic side that way. I became depressed because, although I love my job as an engineer and it stimulates my intellectual side, I need the artistic in my life too. I was reading a random self-help book, and I thought, ‘I think I’ll just start modeling now.’ And that’s when the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other shoulder started to argue!”
How many of us have heard those same whispers in our own ears?
I love that Jacqueline resolved the argument by making a promise to herself. She decided that she would just start doing it, and that there was no pressure to succeed or to do any big thing in particular. She decided to pursue her artistic side through modeling and to enjoy the process of doing it.
Jacqueline sees her story mirrored in the lives of other women around her.
“I’ve noticed a lot of my girlfriends hit this around the age of 40. Suddenly, their family is grown enough to be independent or their career has been well worked over and now they want to express themselves in a different way.”
And she offers encouragement to those who are dreaming of reinventing themselves while the devil and the angel argue. “It could be marathons or pottery or learning to code in blockchain. I think it’s really fun to pick yourself up at this time of life and reengage into it almost like we’re teenagers again.”
I asked Jacqueline for one tip that could help our viewers who are considering a reinvention.
“Start small. Just do it because you like it, not because you have to be Beyoncé (if you’re a singer) or Giselle Bundchen (if you’re a model, like me). Just start. And just be gentle with yourself.
I encourage everyone to not be limited. If there’s something you really want to do or start, go ahead. Whose permission do you really need? Just go ahead and move on.”
You can find Jacqueline online at www.yellowbrickrunway.com, on Instagram, and on Facebook.
Thanks for being part of the Little White Lie Movement!
