How did we get here?

The Importance of Transparency in your Journey

Fear is something…

I had a solid plan for my introductory post. Yet, the moment I started to write, I hit a blank. I didn’t feel like I needed to do a tell-all anymore. It seemed unnecessary. I even started to feel bad about the whole blog, which does not make sense because it’s been a refreshing source of excitement and motivation for me these past few weeks.

The whole essence of this blog is to be a testament to moments when I overcame fear in the past and how I’m now intentionally living to embrace opportunity and failure. Yet, I was about to throw in the towel because the very thing I was overcoming made me feel like a fraud. Well, better to be a self-aware fraud than anything else, I guess.

Alright, so let’s start again.

It was the summer of 2019. I was a super energetic freshman who had filled her summer with several career-building activities. It was thrilling to think of how it had enriched my portfolio as a freshman; I was proud, and everyone was impressed. That didn’t last long because burnout’s effects made me resent everything I did for a hot minute. Eventually, I consoled myself by admitting I had learned a valuable lesson; I needed a better career development strategy (and life strategy while I was at it).

The following year I spent all my free time devouring career development resources. I attended more professional webinars than lectures when the pandemic pushed my classes to be delivered in a virtual setting. I have hundreds of files, including notes, templates, books and courses. I did several informational interviews to learn more about potential career paths. I invested so much time, money and effort. In the end, it was all worth it; everything paid off. I got to experience global opportunities and met so many amazing people from around the world who have been instrumental to my growth.

That period was pivotal in my life. It taught me the power of intention and determination. It also taught me the importance of embracing failure. I’ve interacted with many people I deem successful in their careers, and there’s a recurring theme; many encountered several failures before reaching where they were. They were candid about failing a lot and still meeting roadblocks in their current states. It may seem like common knowledge, but in the heat of the moment, I tend to forget that there are times and seasons for everything, including success and failure. When you live in a world where success stories are over-glorified, it’s easier to focus on making it big and push thoughts of the inevitable journey away.

When I reevaluated my life after having all those encounters, I noticed that I had quite a few moments where I failed, propelling me to do better. It was like a big lightbulb moment for me. If I unintentionally failed forward when I was younger, what would happen if I allowed myself to embrace the process and fail forward intentionally? I was sold on the idea. It’s uncomfortable, especially for a recovering perfectionist. Then again, growth breaks through the hardened surface of discomfort, and it’s a trade-off I’m willing to make.

This is the short-form version of the whole story, not to bore or scare you. Besides, all the details would feature in different posts along the way, so I guess this is my way of keeping you on your feet. Ultimately, I want to grow in every area of my life intentionally. Most people I speak to usually fall into things and find themselves doing it for a long time. Sure, many things are out of our control, and that might be why, but if I can learn from my past and other people’s stories, applying those lessons would be the best form of guide for me.

That is why I’m going to be documenting a considerable amount of this journey here. Because I inadvertently learn from other people’s experiences, it has saved me countless stress. It’s not only going to be in the past tense; that’s something I don’t often see in most online content, and as the old saying goes, I’ll have to be the change I want to see. I’ll share my past experiences because it’s easier to find lessons, and I’ll share the present because it’s incredible how much you can learn by just sitting back to reflect on your day.