Never Quit!

There are moments in life that completely shift your perspective—moments where gratitude doesn’t just sit in your heart, it overflows from your soul. Publishing my book was one of those moments.

After months of reflection, writing, rewriting, and baring my most vulnerable truths, I finally released my words into the world. Hitting “publish” wasn’t just about seeing my name on a cover—it was about courage, healing, and allowing myself to be seen in a new light.

The journey to this point wasn’t easy. There were days filled with self-doubt, where I questioned whether my story mattered. There were nights I stared at the page, tears mixing with hope, wondering if my words would touch even one person. But I kept going. And now, to see readers connecting with my message, finding comfort, courage, and clarity through my story—it’s more rewarding than I ever imagined.

The gratitude I feel is beyond words. I’m thankful for every person who believed in me when I didn’t fully believe in myself. I’m grateful for the lessons that came from pain, for the growth that came through reflection, and for the opportunity to transform my journey into something that could help others find their own healing and truth.

To everyone who has read, shared, or supported my book—thank you from the deepest part of my heart. You are part of this journey. Every kind message, every conversation, every moment of resonance reminds me why I wrote this in the first place.

This experience has taught me that gratitude is not just about appreciating what we’ve achieved, but recognizing the beauty in the process—the challenges, the breakthroughs, the quiet moments of faith that carried us through.

If you’ve ever dreamed of sharing your story, I encourage you to do it. Not for validation or recognition, but because your words might be exactly what someone else needs to hear.

Today, I stand in extreme gratitude—not just for the finished book, but for everything it took to get here.

Do you ever have imposter syndrome? If you have, you know exactly what I’m talking about. That voice telling you that you can’t do something, or you’re not good enough or smart enough, or that what you’re speaking about you have no knowledge of. Don’t listen to that voice…

• You are good enough!
• You are smart enough!
• You are capable enough!
• You are knowledgeable enough!
• You are enough!

Walk into a room like you are meant to be there because you are. Speak up in instances where you have something to say because you do. Don’t listen to all of the background noise.

Have you recently gone through a difficult divorce? Are you still grieving that lost friend or family member? Did you just get a tough medical diagnosis? Have you recently had to move away from the only home you have known for years? There are so many times in our lives where we must be brave for ourselves or even for other people. Do you put on a brave face when you are dying inside? It is very easy to do. Sometimes we do it because we don’t want anyone to know our real stories. At the end of the day, we may only be hurting ourselves by keeping it all inside. If you want encouragement from 8 very brave women who have lived to tell their stories, check out this book in the Lightbeamer Series. https://amzn.to/3UJ8UV4

Do you need to remove your shades or do you simply need to open your eyes to certain things? Maybe you need to open your eyes to the beauty that is around you. But maybe you need to open your eyes to how someone may be treating you. Maybe you need to take the glasses aka blinders off. I think sometimes we choose to keep our eyes hidden for fear that we will see something that we suspected all along. A natural trauma response to avoid dealing with certain things is to simply act as though it doesn’t exist. If it doesn’t exist, it won’t be real and maybe the pain won’t be there. In order to get past the pain, sometimes we need to take the blinders off and face reality. Facing our situations head on, although likely uncomfortable, will allow us to move on past the trauma or thing you are hiding from. What do you need to open your eyes to today?

Ride the waves of uncertainty and change. The only thing certain in life is that there will be changes. Changes in something as simple as the weather and as drastic as divorce, death, or job loss. If we can learn to “ride the waves” during those uncertain times, we can grow from those moments when the tides rise over our heads. Use the moments when the low tides come in to catch your breath. Take each wave as it comes to you and go with it. Don’t let it engulf you or push you to the floor of the ocean. Rise above your circumstances and ride the waves!

Have you ever felt like you were being swept along life’s river at a fast pace, trying to resist the current? Have you ever felt the tide dragging you down? In those alarming moments, what were your thoughts? How were you going to escape the current and avoid drowning? Life, like a river, can overwhelm you and sometimes make you feel like you are being pulled in directions you don’t want to go. It can even make you feel like you are about to drown. When that’s happening, simply take a deep breath (don’t hold your breath, that’s different) and float. When you are in a relaxed position, you are more likely to go with the flow instead of fighting a current that is taking you in another direction.