Do you know the story of the phoenix? I’ll give you the cliff notes: the phoenix is this beautiful, mystical bird that lives for centuries. After it reaches its life span, it builds a nest on top of a mountain, and is set ablaze. Through the ashes it rises again reborn, ready to start a beautiful new life that’s vibrant and full of possibilities. It’s all about starting over again and again. Changing, reinventing, and becoming everything you are supposed to be. Allow me to use myself as an example. 

I’ve had not one but two brain surgeries to remove benign tumors. The first one I was in my 20s and finishing college. Aside from child birth it was one of the scariest things I’ve ever had to experience. Growing up I always had migraines and wore glasses. We all just assumed it was hereditary since all the women in my family experienced migraines.  Except, mine were pretty severe. When a migraine struck, I was not able to function. I’m talking nausea all day, dizziness, and severe throbbing pain where all I could do was hold my head as if it were about to explode. I finally had a CAT scan where they identified the tumor.  

That first surgery forever changed me. I lost all hearing in my left ear and had paralysis on the left side of my body. I went through months of rehabilitation and speech therapy. Ok, I know you want to hear the good part. I survived, I started over and set out on a new path. After college, I immediately enrolled in culinary school. I worked as a chef in the industry for over ten years, travelled, and made new friends. Twenty years later I was diagnosed with another tumor. Summer of 2022, I had another brain surgery. But this time, I was a mom and had way more to lose. Needless to say the surgery was a success and I’m here to tell the tale. My neurologist did his best to explain and that there was a possibility it could come back again. Let the church mamas say, “The devil is a lie!”  

We all experience hardships and difficulty. I’m not here to compare apples to oranges or swap one horror story for another. I’m here to tell you, you can start over as many times as you fall, fail, and breakdown. I’m letting you know you can and you must try again. We put so much emphasis on our jobs and roles in society but I feel this is misplaced. Instead of, “What do you do for a living?” as an icebreaker, we should really ask, “What makes you happy? What makes you fill fulfilled in life?” We have to change our mindsets. If you don’t like your job, are unhappy in your relationships, or just aren’t happy in life, you have to start over. As long as you are allowed to wake up another morning there is still time to do something new.

We are not stuck, our lives are still being written, and they can go in any direction we choose. I don’t mind what people think of me because I have to live this life and be happy with the choices I make. I hope you’re inspired to start something new. Learn a new language, move to a different city, or travel more. We have got to get out of the mindset that we are stuck and this is our only life. I have lived so many lives, worked different careers, and moved to other states. Now, this may not be for everyone and that’s ok. As long as you are in love with your life, I’m happy for you. But for those still searching, it’s time to start over just like the phoenix, rise from your ashes and set a new path for your life. I hope you’re inspired to try again. Are you ready to rise?