“People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.” ~ Paulo Coelho
We love a good success story, don’t we? Picking one's self up by the bootstraps, overcoming the seemingly insurmountable, the “it” actor or actress that hits the scene out of nowhere, the "Eureka!" solution to the problem, the person who just knew what they were meant to do. But the truth to those stories is nuanced, and many are simply myth. The seemingly overnight success we admire is built on a foundation of experience, resilience, adaptation, and oftentimes, failure.
Stay with me.
Maybe it’s a job you didn’t get, a business that didn’t take off, a relationship that ended—a risk that didn’t pay off. We’ve all been there. In a culture obsessed with achievement and productivity, we often focus solely on the outcome and not the grit and growth it took to achieve the end result. So often we’re taught that setbacks mean we’re falling behind, that every misstep is a sign we weren’t good enough - we’re measured by grades, promotions, credentials—benchmarks that tell us whether we’re succeeding or failing.
But what if that’s the wrong way to look at it?
What if challenges and failures are simply invitations to grow?
Rewriting the Narrative
Think about a moment when life didn’t go as planned. What happened? What did you feel? More importantly—what did you learn? Because that’s the difference between feeling stuck and moving forward. It’s not about avoiding difficulty; it’s about extracting the lesson, adjusting course, and continuing on. Sometimes the lesson isn't apparent at first or only partially revealed and continuing the journey allows us to learn.
Change or Stagnation?
What’s worse—stepping into the unknown or staying in place when you know there’s more for you? We spend so much energy avoiding uncertainty, but transformation requires a willingness to be in motion. Toni Morrison once wrote, “You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.” And sometimes, that weight is the belief that we need to have everything figured out before we begin.
But growth isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about looking at a situation with gathered experience and taking the best next step.
Transformation and Unfolding
So here’s my question for you: What’s one thing you would do if you trusted that every experience—even the uncertain, messy, or imperfect ones—were leading you somewhere meaningful?
Take the step. Start the project. Have the conversation. Say yes to something new.
Transformation isn’t about becoming someone else—it’s about becoming fully who you are.
xoxo,
Meghan
(PS, I started to use the caterpillar turning into a butterfly as an example, but do you know about that process?! It's cellular level change - wild!!! Have a listen to one of my favorite Radiolabs to learn more.)
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