Quarterlife Crisis Anyone?

posted 1st March 2010    Written by: Katie    CATEGORY: All Posts, Inspiration, Katie, Quarterlife Crisis, Season 2, What I've Learned

I’m the exception to every rule.

No, I’m serious. Every. Single. Rule.

As women, we are expected to be emotional, prepared, successful, happy creatures who know exactly what we want and how to get it. I don’t know who created these expectations, but I want them shot, or at least put through a super-scientific experiment where we inject their lives with the Quarterlife Crisis.

When I heard about Stratejoy, I was, I’d say, 430% skeptical. I had bought every self help book there is to buy from every bookstore on the east coast. I spent countless hours sitting in my room, reading through books that tried to tell me how to get out of the slump that I was in based on other people’s experiences.

I don’t know if it’s me, but relating to others who have nothing in common with me just doesn’t work.

Before I committed to doing the Stratejoy Joy Equation program, and long before I applied to be a guest blogger, I decided to look into it a little bit more. I wanted to find the loophole where it said that the program was not for me. Maybe it was just for professional women;  Or married women;  Or women who knew what they wanted; None of which described me at all.

So… I read a few of the blog posts by Molly and her group of  Season One bloggers.

At one point, I had to get up and walk away from my computer.  Who were these women? How did they know exactly how I was feeling? You mean, I’m not a freak of nature? It was in that moment that I was sold on the idea of giving the program a try. If nothing else, to prove Molly wrong. To prove that there was someone out there that this program wouldn’t work for.

It might sound like I was being a bit negative – and I was.

When you go through a bunch of disappointments in life,  you learn not to expect too much from anyone or anything. I didn’t want to expect a life changing experience from Stratejoy, not get it, and be eternally depressed that I am truly a freak of nature who can’t be helped.

But I did it.

Within 3 hours, I had my first e-mail from Molly. A welcoming ‘hello’ and the very first writing assignment. I buzzed right through it, and waiting patiently for the next day. It was one of the first few assignments that knocked me out of the water and changed the way I looked at things forever. I was asked to recall the last time I was truly happy, and to describe how I felt.

Easy, right? For most people, sure. But not for me, not the exception to the rule. I realized after 30 minutes of steady thought cramming that I wasn’t able to remember when I was happy. Or how I felt when I was happy. Or anything with the word happy in it. Except Happy Gilmore. Awesome movie.

It was in that moment that I made the realization that I don’t pay enough attention to the moments in which I’m happy, and I focus a lot on the negative. This was a powerful thing for me to realize, and since that revelation, I’ve focused a lot more on living in the moment and being totally open to all of my emotions, especially happiness.

And that realization came on the third or fourth day. I still had 20+ days to go.

The Stratejoy program was a month filled with laughter, tears, life decisions, and mending. All of my life questions weren’t answered at the end of the program, but I do feel like I know what I want next, and how I need to go about doing it.  I had made a new friend in Molly, who when she called me for our “Jam Session”, was easier to talk to than I had ever imagined.

The other day I was talking with a friend and we got to the game of “20 Questions”. He asked me what person inspired me most in 2010. I answered a proud, “Molly Hoyne. Because her Joy Equation helped me find myself underneath the years of pain, frustration, and fear. I now wake up and am excited to spend the day with myself. That says a lot for someone who hated her skin for years.”

He replied; “So really, your most inspiring person is yourself.”

Touche, Friend. Touche.

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Comments (5)

5 Responses to “Quarterlife Crisis Anyone?”

  • Kim Says:
    February 25th, 2010 at 7:17 pm

    Wow Katie, I love the conclusion of this post. Very profound. It's got me thinking too, that perhaps I should look into this Stratejoy Program. I'm constantly inspired by what you and the other lady bloggers write about each week; I can really relate to it. So maybe, like you, I would find the program would work really well for me too! I tend to think negatively as well I think and focus too much inward, not enough outward in a positive way, and I need to change that. Good on you!

  • Katie Says:
    February 26th, 2010 at 4:29 am

    Kim – definitely consider it. You sound a lot like me already, with the negative thinking. It's just so easy, negative thinking. It comes so easily to use after we're used to doing it. can tell you right now that you deserve nothing but total happiness, and sometimes, you need a little guidance on finding out what YOU want. I wish you so much luck and thank YOU for reading me and the other girls. Love it, and you :)

    (Wow, I never used to be this….affectionate. :)

  • Kim Says:
    March 4th, 2010 at 6:55 pm

    Yay for affection! haha. Yes, I definitely think we have a lot in common, and I could benefit from this program. I will think on it more and see what I decide. It will go along well with my life focus right now. Thanks!

    PS: how does one become a blogger with Stratejoy? Do you have to be taking the Joy Plan? Feel free to email me if you have a sec!

  • Katie Says:
    March 6th, 2010 at 12:01 am

    I personally did go through the program (clearly), and I'd recommend it to anyone that can make it happen. LIFE CHANGING.

    As far as the blogging, Kelly, Nicole, Heather, and myself are part of the Season 2 bloggers. Surely after 6 months, Molly will put another offer out there for the next Season, so definitely keep an eye out. Feel free to get in touch with me, and/or Molly with any questions ya have, lovely lady.

  • Confession: Moving Didn't Make Me Happy | Stratejoy | Conquer Your Quarterlife Crisis through Fresh Strategies for Real Joy Says:
    May 11th, 2010 at 8:09 pm

    [...] not consider this a big deal, but I feel like I’ve been leading you all on. How many posts have I encouraged you all to do the program? How many times have I said it saved my life, literally? These claims aren’t lies, not in the [...]

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