Diane Lang, this week's guest, is an Author, Counselor, Educator, National Speaker, Certified Positive Psychology Coach, wife and mother. She retired recently after seventeen years teaching at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey. The youngest of five children who was reminded on a regular basis, by her parents, that she was a mistake or an "oops" baby, is just the beginning of her story. To say she's turned her life around is an understatement and she credits her mother, "The truth is I don't want anybody to ever have to suffer the way I suffered, says Lang. I don't want anybody to have to feel such a state of unworthiness." So it is because of or despite her mother, that Diane turned her life around and she's proud to say "I changed that generational cycle."
"It was all just about her," Lang explains. Her mom, Ann, was never going to change. A mother who stuck to her routine whether it was taking a long bath, bike ride, going to the gym , it was all about he needs and wants and not her daughter's. Ann had a tough childhood, grew up in a strict household, so she was going to raise Diane the same way.
There are so many layers to this story, including Diane saying "she has no fond memories of her mother and no other female role models in life." Diane even mentioned that she's blocked out many of her teen years because the family relationship was so bad.
Diane Lang is the author of 3 books: “Creating Balance & Finding Happiness”, “Baby Steps: The Path from Motherhood to Career” and “Mindfully Happy- waking up to life.”
Diane is such an inspiration. She's redirected her own future. She has a loving relationship with her husband and daughter-nothing of which she ever experience as a child living alone in a house with parents who didn't lover her or didn't know how to express their love.
Many wonderful lessons learned from this conversation. You control your destiny, don't blame everyone else if life doesn't turn out the way you expected and it's important to let go of the anger, hate or resentment. There are many upsides to Diane's journey and her years of studying. "I wouldn't be the person that I am today. I'm completely grateful for that and I can see how far I've come and grown. I can be the person who's empathetic and compassionate because of my childhood or despite my childhood," reflects Lang.
People are on this planet to teach us for better or worse.
Diane Lang Social media & Website:
WEBSITE:www.dianelang.org