“It takes two years and then you’ll be great,” is what Nicea DeGering was told after her divorce. Divorce can be horrible, but it can also be amazing. It all depends on how you set your expectations and perspective. Today’s guest, Nicea DeGering, shares her journey to self-discovery and tips on how to move forward with life after divorce. 

I met my guest today when I joined her ABC4 show, Good Things Utah, last year while promoting my book, No One Dies from Divorce. 

Nicea DeGering has been a television news reporter and anchor on ABC4, and now co-host of the Emmy award winning morning show Good Things Utah for more than two decades in Salt Lake City. She has covered stories like Elizabeth Smart’s disappearance and the 2002 Olympics, and interviewed everyone from presidential candidate Mitt Romney to superstar Garth Brooks. In her spare time, Nicea can be seen and heard on local tv and radio commercials, visiting her daughter in college at FIT in NYC or cheering on her high schooler at swim meets. Her favorite child is and will always be a fuzzy, blonde Goldendoodle named Miles.

Although so much damage is done during such a life event, it can be an incredible opportunity for personal growth that will allow you to understand yourself better, understand how to empathize with others better, and find a new and better way to navigate your journey through life-stronger than you have ever been. 

Nicea got married in Utah pretty young (22), to her high school sweetheart and then was married for 24 years. Looking back now, she realizes how she lost herself along the way, and is now sharing the tips that have helped her live her best life after divorce. As you walk this path, consider this advice from her and Jill:

Find your tribe

• Be proactive in finding ways 
• Change “what if” to “next time”
• Focus on what you want before you start thinking about how to get it
• Create your own opportunities 
• Commit to your growth
• Rediscover your values 
• Do things your love
• Be positive and a beacon for good
• Learn to be more empathetic and compassionate
• Forgive others and look forward
• Mend other relationships in your life
• Discover love again

Nicea compares life after divoce to the “butterfly effect”, as she continues to make small changes to discover more of who she is and what she wants. It’s time The hope she feels now, which took years to build up, has replaced the fear and anxiety of the unknown. 

Divorcing should not be the end. It should be the fresh start to live your fullest life. Start by believing you are worthy of happiness!