November Newsletter

                 Living On Purpose, By, Lifestyle Coach Carol S. Batey

When I was twelve years old, I knew I wanted to model and be in magazines.  I lived to look at and study magazines.  Some would say I was “daydreaming” and that I should not be daydreaming!  Did you daydream when you were young like me? What were you dreams?  As we approach a new year start thinking about your “daydreams” can you go back to your childhood?

At the age of fourteen, while shopping, I saw a teen-modeling search contest I wanted to enter.  It was for a national teen magazine.  At this time, I knew I wanted this career for my life.  I shared my excitement with my mother, as well as the photographer who lived across the street.  But my mother was a teacher, who didn’t understand the fashion world.  I had pictures taken. One full-body picture they requested required a bathing suit. I didn’t have any curves, though, and no one told me I looked OK, so I didn’t send that one in to the magazine.  Later I heard back that I was one of the finalists.   The contest panelist still wanted a bathing suit picture, however, so I put a wig on and took the picture.  I never heard from them again.

For years, I thought my mom should have helped me or guided me.  Now, to looking towards a grand future in modeling at 51 years of age, I have let go of all of that negative baggage in my life.  Forgiveness can to take place within my soul.

Still desiring to work in fashion, I did some modeling in my home town and then studied Fashion and Merchandising.  My goal was to work in the created part of fashion.  Then I met my ex-husband.  I thought he understood my goals and desires to work in fashion, but he wanted me to have a child right away.  He couldn’t handle me working outside the home and enjoying my purpose and passions, so I gave up my dreams of working in fashion.  I had forgotten my destiny and life’s purpose.  What have you suppressed or forgotten to please another person?

Then one day I woke up to my soul’s ultimate potential for realizing my life’s purpose. After twenty –one years of marriage, six children later, and wanting more for my life, I ended the marriage. I went to massage school, skin care school, and herbal school.  At age 49, I was in need of a personal transformation the next year I would be turning 50, and I set personal goals to regain my health by then.  Faced with fibromyalgia and seasonal allergies, I was told by doctors not to do major impact aerobics.   My first month of exercising, I started slowly.  I did kickboxing two days a week and yoga once to twice a week. At first I weigh 184 pounds, Body Mass Index 35.  Later I increased kickboxing to three days, with yoga still only one to two days a week, adding Pilates to tone my abs after six children.  Are you desiring a spiritual or physical transformation within you soul?

  Because of More Magazine Over Forty and Fabulous Contest I remembered and unlocked my dreams. Almost three years ago I saw the contest winners on morning TV.  I went “WOW!  I wanted to model it’s not too late.”  At that point, I became really dedicated to my personal transformation and healthy goals went to the phone and called More Magazine in New York and ask when the next contest date.  I had closed the chapter of my life for modeling.  Because of More Magazine I entered Modeling school at age 50.  Eveyone should have something to inspire them to move forward.

Modeling school at 50 wasn’t a cup of tea.  It took a lot of determination, fortitude, and reliance to stay “on purpose” to complete my dreams.  Being in a classroom with students younger than my children’s age and teachers that were my children’s age was a challenge.  I felt out of place.  But though I couldn’t change the environment, I knew what I wanted and that I had to stay focused and true to the purpose. Walking on the runway after 31 years made me face my inner fear and question if this truly was what I wanted to do.  Not only did I have tuition to pay, but I had things to buy and invest in, I had to practice to walk the way I was being taught—and my ego had to be checked daily.  Why did I really want this career now at my age? Did I just want to say I am a Model? Or was it that I wanted to fulfill my purpose and destiny? 

I had to go within into a silence for those answers.

I entered a local model search for women over forty while in Modeling School. I was again one of the finalists.  We had to perform in a fashion show, we had to practice, and we also had to endure the talent agent’s negative ego-driven attitude. As badly as I wanted to win to get a free talent contract, I just had to pray not to win because of this agent’s personality, which just wasn’t right for me to live out my soul’s purpose. (I would have had to work for him if I won.) However, I still saw this as a lesson for me to see how badly I really wanted to do this performing art.  Everything that’s presented to you may not be pretty or done in an ease and grace.  At that same time it’s woks out for you good in a positive manner.

But then I thought there must be another way that Spirit wanted me to go.  I prayed and was led to seek another agency after this first contest was over.  My runway teacher had told me about another agent, and I went to see her.  I got in to this new agency as a person of talent!  Later I started teaching runway and the introduction to the performance of the trade. 

After this, the National Model search for my age group was held in New York. I entered, but didn’t get a chance to compete.  My heart was crushed!  

But my dreams were not dead yet.  Within four weeks, my pictures were submitted to a large agency in the Atlanta area.  I had an appointment!  The director asked me to go home and take action shots to see if she could sell me.  I did that, and she loved them.  Her only hesitation for not giving me a three-year contract was the distance between Nashville and Atlanta.  So I told her I was willing to move to fulfill my dreams.  At this very moment, I am packing in preparation for a move to Georgia. Thinking that the More Magazine contest was my only way to achieve my dreams, I thought my fulfillment was lost.  I again, revisited my childhood dreams in mind.  Then I asked my agent I work for in my hometown to submit me to a national modeling agency in the South.  She did, and I am now a model with that agency after relocating Elite Atlanta.

More Magazines inspired me to follow my hearts passions in modeling.  If I hadn’t seen that early show with the “Over Forty and Fabulous” winners that day I wouldn’t have remembered my fashion dreams and created my own destiny thank you More, for commitment to women over forty.  I have gone on to write my second books about my wake-up call.  The first one is “In Due Season: Destiny is Calling Your Soul and upcoming, Poise for the Runway of Your Life.”  

The dreams held in my heart for thirty-nine years are finally becoming reality.  I am living on purpose at this very moment!  I am now hosting an internet web radio show on Wednesday’s at 8 EST, called “Your Destiny Awaits You for 2009!  You are invited to tune in.