The Significance of Being Uniquely You
My First Date with Tequila
October 3, 2022
Resilience After a Gut-wrenching Business Exit
November 29, 2022
“Diane’s podcast is remarkable! She is such a gifted writer AND speaker. Yes, she is a gift!”
Dr. Linda Bowman
Dr. Seuss is credited with asking this memorable question: Why fit in when you were born to stand out?
High five! I fizz with excitement over an opportunity to celebrate novel creativity. Fresh ideas, original forms of expression through sound or art, or innovative approaches to unsolvable problems. Those unexpected breakthroughs that result in “Why didn’t I think of that?” facepalm moments.
Think butter boards, which began having their moment in mid-September, although they have apparently been around for a few years. By now, butter boards are already either loved as a fun—yet dated—bonding experience à la fondue, or loathed as a disgusting, cholesterol-laced, regretful flash in the pan. The immediate question I pondered was whether the butter board fad would finally make bread stylish to eat again.
I don’t strive to emulate
or even repurpose something that’s already been done. I’m also not obsessed
with trying to be new or fresh or hip. I work hard at being me. The most memorably
impactful people in my life are capable, confident, and open-minded. Above all,
they accept themselves, me, and others for who we are, not who they think we
should be.
When a reporter or
podcaster reaches out to me for a comment on a story or to serve as a guest on
their podcast, it’s not because I look or sound like every author, influencer,
or subject matter expert out there. It’s because I’m taking a different approach.
Here is the question I get
asked most often: “Why are you focusing
on the psychological impact of cancer when we should be focused on finding
cures for the various types of cancer?”
I typically smile and
calmly reply with this: “Because I have
yet to have anyone tell me that focusing on mental health as it pertains to
cancer is a really dumb idea. The brain is part of the body, cancer is an extremely
traumatic experience, and our minds—just like the rest of our bodies—deserve
compassionate healing.”
Do you agree with Dr.
Seuss? If so, what makes you memorable? Relevant? Timeless?
