There are moments in life where you can feel a shift before you can explain it.
This episode is one of those moments.
February has arrived, and with it, my birthday month. This year, I turn 47. And instead of rushing forward or trying to prove anything, I felt called to pause, reflect, and invite you into where I actually am right now.
This episode is a life update, yes. But more than that, it is a grounding point. A way of saying, this is the season I am in, this is what the last year has held, and this is why the conversations we are about to have together matter.
A Year That Changed Everything
Just over a year ago, my husband and I found ourselves in a place we never expected to be. Job loss. Financial strain. Losing our home. Letting go of possessions we once worked hard to build. Eventually, moving to Texas and living with family.
From the outside, it could look like a setback. And honestly, at the time, it felt like one.
But this past year has taught me something that experience has a way of teaching slowly and deeply. Sometimes the place that looks like the bottom is actually the ground you need to rebuild from. Sometimes what feels like loss is really repositioning.
Living alongside family members walking through addiction recovery changed me. It taught me that recovery is not only about substances. It is about recovering from trauma, loss, identity collapse, fear, and the quiet grief we carry when life does not turn out the way we thought it would.
I was not just observing recovery. I was living inside it.
Humility, Healing, and a Different Kind of Strength
This year humbled me in ways I did not expect. Losing everything you thought you needed has a way of clarifying what actually matters. It stripped away illusion and forced me to ask questions I could no longer avoid.
Who am I when I cannot fix things
Who am I when I do not know what comes next
Who am I when I cannot rely on my own strength
What I found was not despair, but a deeper faith. A quieter trust. A steadiness that did not come from certainty, but from surrender.
I learned that we are not meant to know everything. That uncertainty is not a flaw in the system. It is the space where faith, humility, and real growth are formed.
Recovery Is Not Linear, and Neither Is Becoming Whole
This past year also slowed me down physically. Shingles forced rest. Menopause forced honesty. Recovery training forced reflection. Life itself demanded that I stop powering through and start listening.
And in that slowing, something unexpected happened. Purpose became clearer. Not louder. Clearer.
I completed my recovery specialist certification. I began reshaping the podcast. I started the video. I created space for interviews and Q&A conversations. I worked on my new website. I allowed my creativity to come back online in a way that felt embodied and real.
Not rushed. Not forced. Real.
Why I Am Sharing My Story This Month
February is not about confession. It is about context.
As I bring more people on the show to share their real stories, I want you to know that I am not standing outside the work pointing inward. I am standing inside it with you.
I have lived a lot of life in a relatively short amount of time. I have made mistakes. I have survived things I did not think I would. And I have learned that healing is not about pretending the past does not exist. It is about integrating it so it no longer controls you.
This month, I will be sharing parts of my story. Not all of it. But the parts that shaped the work I do and the freedom I believe is possible.
Key Takeaways
✨ Recovery is not only about addiction. It is about reclaiming yourself after life breaks you open
✨ What feels like loss can actually be realignment
✨ Uncertainty is not something to eliminate. It is something to learn how to live with
✨ Faith deepens when control is released
✨ Telling your story is not about exposure. It is about integration
Final Thought
If the last year has taught me anything, it is this. Time changes nothing. We do.
And sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is stay present long enough to see who you are becoming.
I am glad you are here. This is just the beginning.
LISTEN HERE: LIFE UPDATE! WHEN UNCERTAINTY BECOMES YOUR TEACHER
