**Content Warning** This piece discusses suicidal ideation (resources available at the bottom of this page)
As I sit in the airport reflecting and reading through some A Girl Like Me blogs, I'm reminded of the hills and valleys I've journeyed since being diagnosed in May of 2016.
As of recent I've been traveling quite a bit, have had exciting work related events, plus road trips and so many fun things in between, which may or may not have included a pink boat speeding down the Miami marina...
As an entrepreneur I never know where the journey will lead, but I'm grateful for the forward-thinkers it awards me the opportunity to be around and the friendships built along the way.
Driving across Florida just some days ago with a few of my business partners/friends plus a 7-figure earner (all pictured here), he posed a question... "When's the last time you did something for the first time?"
For me it was a reminder that often times I can move too fast and not appreciate a moment or moments because I'm too "worried" about the next thing or just completing an assignment... It reminded me of the quote about focusing on/enjoying the journey and not the destination.
So as I sit here at the airport, flight delayed, I'm choosing to find the joy in doing something for the first time: while I've experienced several flights and flight delays, I've never been to the destination I'm heading to and that in itself is beautiful.
I know some of what's waiting for me there but I don't know the whole picture, and there's beauty in that. There's beauty in the unknown.
Even thinking of navigating life since my diagnosis... and while I don't know what your journey was like or has been like... mine started out very dark, filled with depression and an attempt to end my own life.
Today it's nothing like that. Today I'm grateful to be alive, grateful for opportunities to share my story. And while life still overwhelms me more often than not... it's comforting to know there are so many more unknown moments waiting with potentially beautiful journeys... playing part in shaping the best version of myself!
So let me ask you... when's the last time you did something for the first time?!
If you or someone you know would like resources or support in relation to the themes above, please see:
If you are thinking of hurting yourself, please tell someone immediately. In the US, you can call or text 988, or call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). To find a suicide hotline near you, try http://www.suicide.org/suicide-hotlines.html; this website lists US hotlines by state as well as hotlines by country (click on the "International Hotlines" link at the top of the main page).
