When we were young…
Finding Your Strength Through Life's Trials and Triumphs
When you’re young, you dream about the fairytale—the Prince Charming, the perfect ending, and all the things you think you want.
Then life shows you who you’re actually meant to become.
Personally? Four out of ten experiences.
Do not recommend. Laugh out loud.
(Kidding… mostly.)
As I’ve grown into womanhood, I’ve learned the importance of strategy—the game of chess—especially as a woman in a male-dominated industry. When I first entered, I was green, confident, and ready to go. Nobody could tell me anything. I felt unstoppable.
Then reality showed up.
Bills versus fun.
Choices versus discipline.
Confidence versus experience.
I struggled. And that was okay.
I was raised with the belief that progress matters more than perfection. And nevertheless, I persisted. Through all my trials—yes, triple trials and tribulations—I just kept trying. A wise man once said that if you keep asking questions, you keep getting answers. So that’s exactly what I did.
I searched.
I looked in every valley, climbed every mountain, and checked under every blade of grass. I searched behind windmills, across the United States, and beneath the glow of small-town cottage houses. I started in Pennsylvania, worked my way west to Oregon, traveled down the coast, and eventually landed in Elko, Nevada.
That’s where I learned that the gold standard is a real thing.
I was trained by the elite in a short amount of time and blessed with challenges that shaped me into someone I am genuinely proud of today. I’ve had losses—plenty of them—but I’ve had more gains.
Every day I’m given the opportunity to choose good and to do good, I’m grateful.
I’m especially thankful for my family—most of all, my mother.
My mom’s resilience taught me more than any lesson ever could. She showed me that a strong woman is courageous. She is kind—but she doesn’t take any bullshit. She’s hungry for answers but not starving for breadcrumbs. She holds her head high, chin up, elbows out.
And when things get hard, you can count on her.
Sometimes her body hurts. Sometimes her mind tells her not to do what she knows she should. But still—she persists.
If I could offer one piece of advice today, it would be this:
Give credit where credit is due.
Never forget your family.
Thank God every day.
Take time to turn up the music.
Watch the birds.
And don’t forget to put food out for the stray cat.
