I have always been independent and stubborn. I wanted to prove that I can do it on my own and people were going to watch me do the things they thought would hold me back. Now as a young adult, I realize that it is okay to be independent….when you need to be.

May 29th 2024 is the day I decided to take matters into my own hands. After quitting my retail job to fly to another state to interview for a job I went to school for; I didn’t get the job, I was jobless, I didn’t have income but most of all, I was losing control. Something I didn’t like. I was then forced to go back home. On flight back home, an older woman and her husband sat next to me. We started a conversation and they asked me “are you visiting or going home?” I explained my situation. I truly felt like I had failed and she could sense that, because she than turned to me and said “how could have failed if you’ve tried your best?”

A part of me was listening and another part of me just wanted to go home because I wanted to cry. Before we got off the plane the lady said one last thing to me, she said “please keep writing about your life, because it is unique and it deserves to be heard.” I simply nodded and turned to leave, never seeing the woman or her husband again but always remembering the words.

After that trip, I told myself “I refuse to feel this way again, out of control”.

April 30, 2025 I was in the store, shopping for groceries and I got the notification and I looked down on my phone and there it was. My entrepreneur certification! So many thoughts were racing through my head. At first I didn’t think it was real, I couldn’t believe I actually did it. That I worked day and night, showing up for myself, putting in hard work and not giving up actually paid off. Did I really achieve this? Then I thought, of course I did!

I was so happy and excited that I didn’t buy everything on my shopping list, I raced home to show the people who were always there for me.

What did I learn from my trip? Sometimes, you cannot do it all and it is okay to depend on those who you can count on. If you saw someone that you love struggling, you would want be there for them or lighten their load; but they have to allow it. It is part of being a leader, business owner and good person. And I am doing it!