Guiding Light

Welcome lovelies and beau’s to the newest series, Rising From the Ashes. While the phrase may have more biblical roots, this series is a deeply personal journey of rebuilding and healing after one of the lowest points in my life. It’s about growth, resilience, and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. Through these stories, I hope to inspire others who, like me, struggled to recognize their own strengths—feeling caught in the riptide by things outside our control. It wasn’t until I reframed my mindset and learned to take each wave as it came that life started to feel easier. I was no longer swimming against the current. Instead, I started flowing with it.

But true resilience comes from within. Our ability to rise isn’t dictated by circumstances alone—it’s a choice, a shift in focus, a reclaiming of strength even in the midst of uncertainty. My journey is a testament to that power, and I hope it encourages others to find their own path forward. Let’s unite, stand together, and rise up from the ashes.

Before we embark on this powerful journey together, let’s take a moment to reflect. At the start of this year, I shared “Tale of Two Lives” (which you can read here). In it, I reflected on how 2024 was such a transformational year that there were two distinct lives that I had lived. There was the first where everything seemed to go wrong, and the second where pieces finally started to fall into place. This series marks the beginning of that second life.

Now in my last post, “High Road” (read here), I mentioned having a bit of a victim mentality. In truth, it was more of a mindset I felt trapped in. No matter how hard I tried to rise above, I kept getting pulled beneath the current, leaving me questioning everything I thought I knew and—and everyone around me. I framed it as a victim mentality to make it easier to understand, but in reality, it was a state of mind that felt impossible to escape. But it wasn’t always like this.

During the high points of my life, I felt genuinely happy—content with where I was and excited for what was ahead. I was also confident in my career and surrounded by the most amazing people. Many of whom inspired me, whether through their resilience in facing challenges or their uplifting outlook on life.

At work, I thrived. Upper management praised my performance, applauding the ideas I shared to improve workflow efficiency. So much so, I received a good raise and I was entrusted with additional responsibilities—assisting my boss, training new hires, and contributing in ways that made a real impact. Meanwhile, beyond work, life felt just as fulfilling. I had a place of my own—a space that gave me the freedom and independence to navigate life on my own terms. I had a routine, a rhythm, a sense of stability and safety.

However, as with all good things, there comes a time when cracks begin to form. Oftentimes, well beneath the surface. So, I’m not sure which was the first to start crumbling: relationships, work, or personal. There was a shift. Everything seemed to spiral all at once. But had this storm been brewing all along? It’s a possibility.

Another possibility is that change took center stage, making the cracks in the foundation even more visible. As is often the case in many areas of life, change is inevitable—it has a way of exposing weaknesses that were once easy to overlook. When my company transitioned to new management, growing pains followed. More people were hired on, policies shifted, and the dynamics of the workplace began to change. There was no longer the same sense of stability. Instead, things were ever-changing. Those changes came so fast, it became hard to keep track of all the new rules.

When I first started working, times were simple. We wore name tags, took lunch whenever it fit in our schedule, and remained to ourselves. We’d also walk into the office and get straight to work. By the end, everything was different. Name tags were no longer required in the office. Breaks—whether 15 minute reset or 30 minute lunch—were only allowed if no one else in our department was already on one. We were able to converse and collaborate with our team and other departments. And to top it off, we were issued ID badges to scan into the office, tracking late arrivals and absenses more closely than ever before. The shift was undeniable, and the weight of it all started to sink in.

Then, in my personal life, a skin issue occurred on my foot leaving layers of skin exposed, making every step a painful reminder that something wasn’t right. Also, while driving on the highway, a rock flew into my windshield. Within weeks, another rock—this time from a semi—causing the crack to spread across the entire window. So, I had the window replaced, only for my car to be rear-ended in a parking lot while I was at work. Thankfully, the driver left a note and initially offered to cover the costs, but in the end, I was still left paying a portion.

As my car was being repaired and I was adjusting to driving a rental, I had to undergo a skin test that required stitches in my foot. It was one of the most, it not the most painful experience I’ve ever had. The bottoms of our feet are sensitive beings. A short time later, another issue surfaced—this time, a bump under my eyelid that blurred my vision and caused frequent headaches. It became such a common occurrence that I had a procedure to remove it. Once that healed, I somehow managed to drop a can of soda on my big toe—resulting in a painfully bruised, blackened toenail. Not only was it an eyesore, but wearing shoes became a challenge. Even the slightest pressure on the nail sent a sharp wave of pain through my foot. It felt relentless. Once thing after another, piling up faster than I could process.

And if that wasn’t enough, my friends and family were becoming busier and busier. Suddenly, no one had the time to visit (or video chat). Excuses piled up—concerns about safety, skepticism about costs, an unspoken hesitation that hadn’t been there before. The distance between us grew, not just physically but emotionally. It was as if, little by little, they were pulling away, and I was left to navigate it all on my own.

Before I knew it, I was caught up in it all—the emotions, the confusion, the endless waves of what went wrong? I laid awake at night, my mind racing, through the what-if’s, searching for the moment everything shifted. And yet, despite the whirlwind, I kept going. There was still rhythm, routine, structure. But more importantly, there was a guiding light—the same light I had recognized in others. It was deep within me too.

It took time to realize, but that light had been within me all along. Challenge after challenge, detour after detour, it never faded. The same motivation, the same passion, and the same optimism—it was all still there. And no matter how many times life tried to shake me, the vision remained clear.

The destination still unknown, but I began to shift my focus to the things I could control and let go of the things I couldn’t. For instance, when I received unsolicited—some of it well-intentioned but ultimately unhelpful—I took a moment to consider it. Sometimes, I accepted it. Other times, I questioned it. But in the end, I made the best decisions for myself.

A prime example of this was the family disagreement. No matter how much I wanted my experiences, feelings, and perspectives to be acknowledged, I couldn’t force others to understand if they weren’t open to it. Accepting that helped me grieve the situation, the relationships, and the expectations I once had, allowing me to move forward. The same was true when I lost my job. I grieved the loss of stability, job security, and the connections I had built. But through that experience, I learned a valuable lesson—there is always something to improve upon, always something to build from, even in the face of setbacks.

And finally, when a relationship ended, I realized that waiting around indefinitely wasn’t an option. Life keeps moving, even on our hardest days. It’s okay to pause, to take a breath, to feel the weight of loss. But that’s as long as we keep pushing forward toward our goals, keep doing the work to heal, even if we have to re-discover who we are.

So, if you ever find yourself in a daunting situation, take life moment by moment, step by step if you have too. Greater times are ahead. The weight you feel may seem exhausting or unbearable—but that’s just your mind. When you learn to quiet the noise, everything else becomes crystal clear.

We all have a guiding light within. Some recognize it sooner than others, but it’s always there. And trust me, once you connect with that spark inside and fuel it with the same love and passion you pour into other aspects of your life, it will grow from a spark to a steady flame. From a steady flame to a bright, warm shining light—leading you exactly where you’re meant to be.

For another Rising From the Ashes post, check back next Monday, February 17th, to continue following my journey of healing and growth.

As a signature of my blog, I’d like to end this post with a suggestion to “Pass on kindness.” There’s no time like the present to Inspire Those Who Inspire You. Acts of kindness, no matter how big or small, can have a direct, positive impact on someone else. Go out there today and change someone’s life for the better!

**These are my personal opinions and may not be those of my employer.**