Blessed to be Content

I have been in a Julia Child phase. It began when one of my friends turned 70. Something popped up in my phone about Julia Child’s birthday. It was one day after my friend’s birthday. So, my girlfriends and I decided to host a special birthday party to honor this milestone date. We cooked food inspired by Julia Child’s recipes. We had a grand time and the food was, of course, yummy! I made Julia Child’s Suprêmes de Volaille aux Champignons and it was a big success. Bonus, it was easy.

Julia

While I was searching the internet for a Julia Child recipe, I discovered that there was a documentary about her life. I didn’t know that. The reviews were excellent. It was available on Amazon Prime. I invited my friends over for a movie night. I rearranged my great room furniture and about 12 of us watched the movie. It was really well done. When others asked me about it, I gushed, saying: “It is hard imagine being this enthused about a documentary.”

A neighbor saw my Facebook post about the movie. She told me about being on a cruise where she took cooking classes from the woman who was Julia Child’s assistant/protégé and that the woman was full of fascinating stories about Julia Child. Of course, this piqued my interest.

I did some digging on the internet and found the woman in question was Stephanie Hersh. It turns out, she is featured in the documentary many times. I, however, seemed to have missed who she was. She must have been introduced in the movie toward the beginning while I was still getting all of my guests situated. In my researching, I found this transcript of an interview Stephanie had done in preparation for the Julia Jubilee. It was a great interview and I recommend reading/listening to it if you have even the slightest interest in Julia Child.

“Thinking About My Future”

What really struck me personally was this quote from about three quarters of the way through the interview: “When she was 89, she said, ‘I have to start thinking about my future.’” I am nowhere near 89, but as I was reading, my 65^th birthday was looming. I felt introspective. I thought about my future.

About 9 months ago, I, along with my Co-founders, my sister Lauren Briggs and my friend Debbie Robbins, started this Best-Life Project. As I have been seeking content creators, I have searched for different women’s writers’ groups. I was amazed at how many different options exist.

Speaking and Writing

When my mother and I started the CLASSeminar back in 1981, we were basically all there was for training speakers and writers. Due to a change in my personal status, I stepped away from the world of speaking and writing in 2006. While others carried the mission forward, ultimately my mother got too old to be traveling and speaking and the seminar faded away. That absence left a vacuum, and that space has now been filled with many different options.

As I thought about my future, I was surprised that I had no jealousy. I didn’t wish that I was still the one filling that need. In fact, I was happy to see that so many we’d trained were now teaching others. They are carrying on that mission.

While thinking about my future, thanks to Julia Child and Stephanie Hersh, I had an epiphany. I am really happy where I am, and I want to continue—just with more. Yes, I’d like to have some more remodeling jobs, I’d like to sell some more paintings, and I hope that the Best-Life Project grows with more readers and contributors. I will continue to enjoy my husband and our home, cooking, and my girlfriends.

While I still give a speech here and there, I am grateful that I am no long spending every weekend traveling alone and schlepping books across the country to speak at a women’s conference. I have no desire to be attending events designed to improve my skills, network with other speakers and writers, or where I might connect with a publisher interested in my newest book—I am not saying that such events are not useful and valuable for others. Unless God opens a wide door for me, my book writing days are behind me. I am still writing, but it is here with The Best-Life Project.

Blessed to be Content

At its core, this is really what the Best-Life Project is about. Realizing what you want and being happy with it. When we know what we want our future to be, it helps us make decisions today that move us toward that end goal. Ten years from now, even two years from now, my vision for my future may change. I may be tired of dealing with workers and customers. I may want to travel more. But for today, I’m good.

What about you? Have you been thinking about your future? Do you need to make some changes to get where you want to be? Or are you blessed to be content with where you are?

I can just hear my mother’s voice from an oft quoted line: “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” (Philippians 4:11)

Next, while my great room is set up theater style, my friends are coming over in a few days to watch Julie and Julia. Yes, most of us have already seen it, but after watching the documentary, we wanted to rewatch the 2009 film.

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Marita Littauer Tedder has spent the majority of her adult life working with women—helping them improve relationships, achieve their speaking and writing dreams, and being the best version of themselves they can possibly be. The author of 20 books, this Living Our Best Life Project is her newest effort—through which she hopes to challenge women to be fulfilled where they are.