On the Other Side of Hard: The Journey Back to Me
Embracing Your Own Journey: Why Prioritizing Yourself Changes Everything
The Best Pursuit You'll Ever Have Is YOU
In January 2024, I made a decision that would change my life.
On paper, everything looked good. My son was preparing to graduate from college. My marriage was on solid ground. My career was thriving. By all external measures, life was exactly where I hoped it would be.
But beneath the surface, I was exhausted.
I was carrying extra weight, lacking motivation, and running on empty. Like many women, I had spent years pouring my energy into everyone and everything around me—my family, my career, and my responsibilities. I had become exceptionally good at caring for others while quietly placing my own needs at the bottom of the list.
I've never been a big believer in New Year's resolutions. Yet on January 2, 2024, something shifted. Maybe it was the lingering holiday spirit. Maybe it was the realization that if I didn't start prioritizing myself, nothing would change. Whatever it was, I made a commitment that day to begin what I called my "ME Journey."
More than two years later, that journey is still going strong.
I Started With My Health
I sought guidance and support from healthcare professionals. I joined a gym. I signed up for my first 5K. Most importantly, I enlisted an accountability partner to help keep me focused when motivation inevitably faded.
It wasn't easy.
In fact, there were many days when quitting seemed like the easier option. But I've always loved the saying, "Everything you want is on the other side of hard." So instead of testing the water, I dove into the deep end and started swimming toward a better version of myself.
Along the Way, I Discovered Something Powerful
Pursuing yourself is about so much more than physical health.
As I grew stronger physically, I began taking a closer look at other areas of my life—especially my relationships. I started assessing where my energy was going and whether those investments were healthy and reciprocal.
I learned to let go of the need to control, fix, or carry things that were never mine to hold. I realized that not every problem requires my intervention, and not every person's journey is my responsibility.
Perhaps most importantly, I learned that outgrowing people, places, and things is a natural part of life.
Growth doesn't always happen at the same pace. Sometimes people aren't ready for the same changes you're pursuing. Sometimes they're meant to walk with you for a season rather than a lifetime. And while that realization can be painful, it can also be incredibly freeing.
Choosing Yourself Isn't Selfish
Too often, women are conditioned to put themselves last. We proudly wear the labels of caregiver, leader, partner, mother, mentor, and friend. We become experts at showing up for everyone else while convincing ourselves that our own needs can wait.
But here's what I've learned: choosing yourself isn't selfish.
It's courageous.
When you invest in your health, your growth, your well-being, and your future, everyone around you benefits. You show up with more energy, more clarity, and a greater capacity to give because you're no longer operating from a place of depletion.
Choosing yourself doesn't mean choosing yourself over others.
It means choosing yourself, too.
The Best Pursuit You'll Ever Have Is YOU
Today, I am healthier, stronger, and more fulfilled than I was when I began this journey. Not because life became easier, but because I became more intentional. I learned that personal growth is not a destination—it's a lifelong commitment.
And of all the pursuits I could have chosen, none has yielded a greater return than pursuing myself.
If there's one message I hope every woman takes away, it's this: don't wait for the perfect moment to choose yourself. The perfect moment rarely arrives.
- Take the class.
- Join the gym.
- Set the goal.
- Ask for help.
- Create the boundary.
- Start the journey.
Yes, it will be uncomfortable. Yes, it will be hard.
But that's exactly where growth, possibility, and a little bit of magic live.
Everything you want is on the other side of hard—and the best pursuit you'll ever have is YOU.
