How Autoimmune Issues Helped My Business Mindset

 

Hello Friends!

Have you ever faced a situation that left you feeling helpless? Whether it was a financial issue, losing a loved one, an injury, an illness, an injustice…a time in your life where you thought you had no option other than being the victim?

That’s when you actually have an opportunity to see what you’re truly made of. I have had many, many difficult things in my life that I have OVERCOME. But it’s weird going around talking about all that life trauma, am I right? There are things in my family history that I am still not open about, but I use the knowledge to encourage myself as a human every day, that I’ve come through the other side. I’ve succeeded, not because of trauma and hardship, but in spite of it.

One thing that I’ve found myself sort of accidentally sharing about is my experience with autoimmune issues. At first, I never wanted anyone to know I was sick, because I didn’t want to be sick. I held onto a huge amount of denial, but I was a very compliant patient. I took my medications, I followed the proper protocols, but I was still sick. 

Something I noticed from early on in my struggle with Sarcoidosis, is that I desperately wanted to be healthy. I wanted to feel well. I did not want to wallow in a puddle of despair and sadness for what was happening to my body. So in a way, I realized pretty quickly that I was going to be fine, even if I didn’t feel well. I’m not sure if that makes sense to anyone else, but I knew I was not going to let this illness define who I became and what I was capable of accomplishing.

To make a long story short, I used being sick as momentum in taking chances on my dreams of becoming a salon owner, and even bigger risks as I navigated the blood-soaked waves of becoming a Hair Extensions Specialist🦈🩸😂 I had wanted to open a salon since my kids were babies, but the ever-present excuses for why I couldn’t would still be there today if I hadn’t used my stubbornness as a catalyst.

Literally, I was so afraid of using my illness as an excuse, I propelled past every single story I had held in my brain for not doing it. Fear can be a powerful motivator, but it can also hold us back. It just depends on the power it’s given.

In a very real way, being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease (I am currently in remission!!) was the one thing that truly lit a fire under my butt to get me to CHANGE the things I didn’t love about my life. I knew I wanted to be as healthy as possible for myself and my family, and I wanted to do work that inspired me. And I have done all that, but it’s just not enough anymore. I’m ready to see what goals I can crush not out of FEAR, but out of DRIVE. I’m so excited to nurture this passion! 

So what is your next step? How are you going to use your current road block as an exit ramp? 

Thanks for spending this time with me. If you’d like to hear more about this particular story, tap here to watch my YouTube video. Bonus: you’ll learn an easy way to curl your hair extensions 😘