Reflection of Holiday Inspiring Women’s Luncheon with Dr. Lori Stevic-Rust

by CCU student Rachel Scott

Dr. Lori Stevic-Rust, a clinical health psychologist, joined us for a motivating luncheon at the Dunes Golf & Beach Club on Dec. 3, 2019.

Dr. Stevic-Rust began her speech with a concept that we all can relate to — impostor syndrome. That small voice in the back of our head that tells us we can’t, even when we know that we can. Emphasizing that we all struggle with feeling insecure and inadequate, she shared her experience of her internship at Henry Ford Hospital. She was the youngest in her class by ten years and one of few women, three-quarters of her class male. She spoke of the voices she heard when preparing that morning. “Be smart but not too smart, be compassionate and motherly, but not so much that you’re dismissed,” she said. Ignoring that voice in her head, she chose courage and decided to show up anyway. At the luncheon, she provided instructions to control and overcome these thoughts with courage.

Her most recent publication, Lily’s Red Shoes of Courage, focuses on how children can practice courage in their lives, especially when it comes to bullying and by standing.

As we teach the next generation to believe in themselves and chase their dreams, we must also teach them courage through empathy. By practicing these qualities in our daily lives, we are leading by example. Using empathy to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, is a powerful way to relate to another.

To build our confidence, we must first build our courage. One way we can grow in courage is by reframing our thoughts and the way we speak to ourselves. She explained to us that our brain will think roughly 22,000–50,000 thoughts a day, with 85% of these thoughts centered on negativity. When our brain labels something as negative, it becomes difficult to see it in any other light. “Once we see positive, it primes our brain to see more positive,” she said.

She encouraged us to take the lead and actively choose courage. When we actively practice courage, we are choosing to ignore that voice, thought, or doubt, and believe in ourselves.

“The act of choosing courage is not a passive decision,” said Stevic-Rust.

Once we take the power from that voice of doubt, we are free to see our limitless potential. By building confidence and courage, you recognize the same power displayed by others, lies in you as well!

She left us with three final thoughts to consider:

1. Listen to your thoughts — Pay attention to how you speak to yourself.

2. Choose to be thankful — Move forward using gratitude.

3. Risk empathy — Empathy is the strongest way to make connections with others.

We are grateful for the time Dr. Lori Stevic-Rust was able to spend with us. She provides real solutions to conquer negative beliefs and replace fear with courage. She brings knowledge to the audience they will take with them beyond the event and into their lives.

Visit our Facebook photo album to view more pictures from the Holiday Inspiring Women’s Luncheon!