It’s time to come clean about something that I’ve known for a long time. My name is Ronda Beaman, and I am a junkie. Yes, you read that right. I have an addiction … an addiction to achievement.
To most of us, the word “addiction” has negative connotations. It conjures up visions of people with lives spinning out of control, spiraling toward some terrible end. But my addiction has driven me to accomplish many things that I never would have dreamed possible.
My secret? I never give up.
Achieving the impossible – or the near impossible – gives me a high that is greater than any drug I could take. It’s the feeling that I can do anything if I just set my mind to it.
It all started when I was a young girl, racking up Girl Scout merit badges the way some kids might hoard Halloween candy. It was such an emotional rush to add badge after badge to my Girl Scout sash, each badge earned yet another physical reminder that I had made an accomplishment.
As I grew, my vast collection of badges became a symbol for how I wanted to live my life, a stepping stone on the pathway to lifelong achievement. I sailed on into adulthood, receiving my Ph.D. and working as a professor; becoming a fitness instructor, executive coach, and motivational speaker; writing my memoir, Little Miss Merit Badge; and perhaps most importantly, refusing to bend to the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis that I received more than 20 years ago.
I may not wear that Girl Scout sash anymore, but I still thrive on earning “badges” for every new undertaking I pursue.
Perhaps most importantly, I want to be able to share my attitude and my zest for achievement with the whole world. In addition to booking speaking engagements all over the globe, I am proud to serve on the board of directors for the National Pay It Forward Foundation. My family has been named Most Creative Family by USA Today. I continue to write, speak, teach, and live life to its fullest potential. And I want to share my recipe for enduring success and contentment with anyone who wants to listen.
After all, what good are my achievements if I can’t inspire others to achieve as well?
