“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
-Norman Vincent Peale
On March 24th, 2017, I had the opportunity to meet and speak with Dr. Rhea Seddon.
In 1973, Seddon received a doctorate of medicine from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine and went on to complete 3 years of a surgical residency. In 1978, she was selected as one of the first six women to enter the Astronaut Program at NASA. She served as a Mission Specialist on flights in 1985 and 1991 and as Payload Commander in charge of all science activities on her final flight in 1993. After leaving NASA in 1996, Dr. Seddon was the Assistant Chief Medical Officer of the Vanderbilt Medical Group in Nashville for 11 years. To top it all off, she has recently published her memoir, Go for Orbit.
During my time with her, me and about fifteen other students had the opportunity to ask her questions. All of her answers seemed to come from a place of wisdom and experience that, I believe, only a handful of people we will encounter throughout our lives possess.
These are some of her points that I am sure I will carry with me always:
1. If you feel you’re on the wrong path, turn around and start on a new one.
Dr. Seddon changed tracks and learned completely new skills and ideas many times throughout her life. She went from medical student, to astronaut, to wife and mother, to chief medical officer, to author and motivational speaker. If her story is not a testimony to, “it’s never too late to begin,” then I don’t know what is.
2. If the train didn’t stop at your station maybe it wasn’t your train.
Sometimes in life you’re going to want something really, really badly. But for some reason, be it luck, circumstance, bullies, or whatever else, it won’t happen. The point is, you have to trust that it didn’t happen for a reason. The reason might not be clear right then and there, but eventually it will become clear and you’ll be better off for it.
3. You can have a thrilling career and a family but you’re going to need help.
When one of the students asked her how in the world she managed to do all of these things while also being a dedicated wife and mother, her answer was simple – “I had a live-in nanny for many years.”
Yes, you can have a beautiful family and a fulfilling, exciting career, but you can’t do it all on your own. You’re going to need a support system of people you can count on no matter what happens.
4. As a woman in a man’s world you have to be good at what you do. And not just good… you have to be better.
In all of the careers she chose, Dr. Seddon was a woman in a man’s world. When asked how she was able to handle that with so much grace and determination, always managing to come out on top, she simply stated that she knew that she had to be good at her job and that she had to be better than her competition.
During her residency, there were a few times when she didn’t get scheduled for the same amount of surgeries as her male colleagues. Her solution was always to just keep being good at what she did (and never be afraid to ask for help).
5. If your dream seems unrealistic, figure out more realistic goals that can get you there.
Dr. Seddon’s first science project, still in elementary school, was about what might happen to the body in space – going to space was always her dream. However, she was a woman from a small town in Tennessee in the 60’s – being an astronaut was definitely not an option at that point. So, she thought to herself, what can I do to get closer? Becoming a physician seemed like a good option (still on the brink of unrealistic but not impossible).
In the end, because of timing, will, hard work, and circumstance, she ended up getting to space and finding the answers to that first science project.
6. Knowing what your values are and standing by them is a life-long journey
As a physician, astronaut, wife, mother, author (and so many other things) Dr. Seddon had been placed in many situations that tested her values. When asked how she was able to know what her beliefs are and how she managed to stand by them, she sighed and reminded us that the struggle to do those things never ends. The key is to always remain true to yourself and the rest will follow.
Dr. Seddon is a true inspiration for the many hard working women and strong-willed dreamers. Follow your dreams!