Lately, I’ve found myself in a reflective, healing, ‘let-it-go’ growth mode—one of those rare, meaningful seasons where the inner voice gets louder and one choses to let distractions fade into the background. It is not easy, and there have been chapters in my life where I have chosen to just keep doing what I am doing, ignoring the inner voice and letting the other’s voices in my world be more powerful and louder than mine…

I hit a moment where I realized, to give my family ALL of me, to open my heart 1000%, to allow me to become my fullest self…I had to lean into my inner voice. Hard stuff. Doesn’t come without digging in and facing the mirror. Means lots of walks, runs, movement…I’ve been immersing myself in music, reading thought-provoking content, watching the world with sharper eyes, and having deeper conversations with the people who matter most. This isn’t about changing for the sake of change—it’s about evolving so I can show up more intentionally. More powerfully. More me.

This journey for me isn’t about perfection, it’s about presence. For my kids. For my man, my life partner and battle buddy. For my village…the people who pour into me without hesitation. Though I know it, when I focus, I truly realize that real transformation begins with action. Words are easy. Intention is nice. But action? That’s where the magic happens.

Jelly Roll says it best in My Cross:

“So I carry this cross, I just carry this cross… I don’t know if I can hold it anymore.”

That line hits different when you’re in the thick of it…when you’re carrying more than just your own weight. And some days, it feels like you’re holding up your entire world. But here’s the truth I’ve come to understand: no one is coming to save you. If you want to change, you have to get up, get uncomfortable, and push like your life depends on it—because it does. One life. Make it count.

One of the most interesting revelations during this time I have been going through – that I have chosen to embrace…has been how many people are simply okay with ‘average.’ That many say many things, but follow through is non-existent. That majority of those are not shining examples I want my children, all 4 of them, to learn from…Listen, I have been there. I am far from perfect. But why are we okay with giving things half-energy and not have consistency. People have built empires on habits, weight loss, sales trainings to make people $$$…and people buy these services, technology, gimics, and the boxes show up. And then expect the magic bunny to come out of the box and VOILA!. Consistency…yes, most are not able to be consistent. There is always ‘something’ – what I call distractions. And candidly, those distractions are FUN, the easy, the ‘indulgent’ aspects that our life has…yet is in the simple acts, the consistent acts, the breaths of sunshines and sunsets that leaning into the ‘hard’ makes this LIFE all so much more beautiful and RICH. I have chosen the hard thing, the things I hope break me open and rebuild me to make me even stronger. And yes, hasn’t been fun, and I have many moments lately where I have not shown up in the best lights or felt so lost I didn’t know where to turn. But I have kept waking up…showing up. While I cannot control their path, I can control mine. And my family, my loved ones? They’re watching.

“I’ve been walking through the rain, don’t know where I’m going / My head’s leading me astray, yeah, you follow no wind…” – My Cross

Showing up matters. Choosing the path that challenges you matters. Because when you do that in full view of your kids, your partner, your tribe…they see. They learn. They begin to reflect, to evolve, to lean in themselves. That ripple effect? That’s how you build an unstoppable engine. A family bonded not just by blood or love, but by the fire that forges you together through choice, resilience, and purpose.

My man and I talk often about how we show up. For each other. For our children. For the lives we are building: boldly, deliberately, and with unconditional love. We don’t just dream about the life we want – we build it. Together, we heal. We challenge. We create. We enjoy. And yes…we hold each other accountable to rise in all areas: physically, mentally, spiritually. Not just because we want to, but because we must. Because our kids are watching. Because we’ve invited our village in and asked them to walk this journey with us. So we rise…for them, with them, beside them.

“I’m just tryin’ to make it right, carryin’ my cross through the night…” – My Cross

Here’s another truth I’ve held close in this season:

“The measure of a life well-lived is not how often you have avoided discomfort, pressure, or change, but the grace with which you navigated it. The merit is not in whether or not you have ever experienced anything challenging, but the courage with which you faced what challenged you. That is what matters. That is what defines you.”

And that’s what I want to be defined by. Not by ease, not by convenience, but by courage, by love, by consistency. By rising when it would have been easier to stay down. By building when it would have been easier to walk away.

So yes, I’m in growth mode. Reflective, curious, committed. I’m reading, I’m listening, I’m watching…and I’m learning how to lean in harder. Because the goal is not just to survive this life, but to live it well. Loudly. Fully. Authentically. For my family. For my partner. For my tribe. For me.

Together, we rise. Together, we carry our crosses. Together, we become unstoppable.