When life piles on one challenge after the next, how do you hold onto hope and forge forward toward your own vision for success? Marcia Donziger charts her remarkable story of learning to do just this in her debut memoir You Are Meant For Great Things: My Story of Turning Setbacks Into Stepping Stones.
In a time of enormous uncertainty, Marcia Donziger's message of learning to reset, reframe, and rebuild is sure to resonate with women who want to have it all—motherhood, fulfilling relationships, meaningful work, and the ability to successfully lean into constant change.
Marcia never expected her world to come crashing down at the tender age of 27 but that's exactly what happened. First, she was given a surprise diagnosis of stage three ovarian cancer when even her physician was in doubt. Then came the hysterectomy and crushing grief of infertility. And finally, her first marriage ended after her "rock" of a husband turned out to be a pebble of a man, unable to accept the cards life had dealt them.
Suddenly, Marcia found herself back in her childhood home in Anaheim, CA, taking comfort in the faded, steamy Rob Lowe posters adorning her pink walls and her old pink rotary phone, relics from the 1980's, when her innocence about the world was unbroken.
With the support of her loving family, Marcia was able to mourn the life she originally dreamed of, "pivot" before it became a buzzword, and blaze a new way forward. "In the end, I can say that the loss of my health, the heartbreak, and my demolished expectations for the future eventually led me down a path of radical reinvention."
What follows is Marcia's extraordinary personal and professional journey. She leaves the jet set life of a flight attendant for a more stable, better-paying tech job—where she learns the value and rewards of a positive work culture.
She meets her second husband, and they overcame the challenges of infertility with the help of a surrogate mom and egg donor.
Professionally, Marcia expands her knowledge as she ventures out on her own—as the founder of MyLifeLine.org Cancer Foundation, a digital community supporting 300,000+ people impacted by cancer worldwide, and as a leading culture and engagement consultant in the health and nonprofit industries.
In time, Marcia realizes she is worthy of love again, and motherhood, and she seizes the opportunities to make both happen. You Are Meant For Great Things brings us into the heart and mind of a woman who learned to move past daunting setbacks to wring everything she wants—and deserves—out of life.
This relatable, inspiring, poignant book is the perfect guide for those of us yearning to thrive no matter the circumstances.