Your life can change overnight

After the first day of school at 5 years old, I stopped playing with dolls because “I’m a student now.” It was as if a switch had been flipped inside me, a new chapter beginning where dolls suddenly seemed too childish, too distant from the responsibilities and challenges of being a student.

And at 15, after reading about vegetarianism, I stopped eating meat for 5 years because it completely lost its appeal. There were ethical considerations for animal welfare, environmental concerns over the impact of meat production, and a growing awareness of health benefits from a plant-based diet.

Again still, at 36, I uprooted my secure, financially stable life in Florida to travel the world and grow as a person, woman, teacher, and musician.

Time and time again, I grew out of something that wasn’t serving me. These examples just scratch the surface. Slowly, then all at once, like a tree being pulled out at the roots. Each change was a process of shedding old skins, a shedding that sometimes felt like losing a part of myself but always led to a clearer sense of who I was becoming.

Patterns of growth are not always clear in the moment but reveal themselves in hindsight! This is why everyone should be bold, brave, and willing to embrace change even if it seems terrifying!