No One Was Coming to Rescue Me
Have you ever looked back over your life and wondered, How in the world did I get here?
I have.
When I was 18, I joined the Army Reserve. Not long after, I became pregnant. Because I wasn't married, I was told I would have to give my baby to someone else if I wanted to stay in.
That wasn't happening.
I chose my baby over my military career, and I was discharged from the Army Reserve. For the next 12 years, I lived a life I never imagined.
During those years, I went through three marriages. I had two amazing sons with two different fathers. Life wasn't easy, and many of the decisions I made weren't the best ones.
As a single mom, my oldest son's father took me to court over and over for custody. I couldn't afford attorneys or endless court battles. Eventually, I was emotionally and financially exhausted.
One day I said, "Okay...just take him. I can't fight this anymore."
That was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made.
To make matters worse, I ended up paying child support while raising my youngest son on my own—with no child support coming in for him.
Then there was husband number three.
He was an alcoholic. Looking back, my choice in men was about as good as my choice in a lot of other decisions I was making back then. I was searching for someone else to make life better, but every relationship seemed to leave me right back where I started.
After that marriage ended in divorce, I found myself working two and sometimes three jobs just to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table.
I was tired.
Not just physically tired.
Soul tired.
That's when I started asking myself some hard questions.
If I kept making the same choices, why would I expect a different outcome?
I remembered how much I had loved serving in the military, so I decided to try going back into the Army. It wasn't an easy road. At the time, being a single parent created obstacles I had to figure out. I made decisions I thought were necessary to move forward, including marrying someone I had known for years and cared about deeply. That marriage didn't last either.
But something else happened during that season.
Something far more important than another failed relationship.
I finally realized no one was coming to rescue me.
No prince.
No husband.
No miracle paycheck.
No perfect opportunity.
If my life was going to change, I had to stop waiting for someone else to change it.
That realization changed everything.
Going back into the Army wasn't someone else's decision. It was mine.
Changing my future wasn't someone else's responsibility. It was mine.
Finding my purpose wasn't going to happen because someone handed it to me. I had to be willing to take the first step.
Today, people see the life coach, the speaker, the author, and the Army veteran.
What they don't always see is the woman who made mistake after mistake before she finally realized that the biggest turnaround in her life began the day she took responsibility for her own future.
Sometimes we're waiting for God to open a door while He's waiting for us to get up and walk toward it.
That doesn't mean we do it alone. God places people in our lives to encourage us, guide us, and walk beside us. But there comes a moment when we have to decide that we are done living on autopilot and ready to take ownership of the next chapter.
That moment changed my life.
It can change yours too.
Lesson Learned: No one else can live your life for you. The day you take responsibility for your future is the day your future begins to change.
Your Pivot Challenge: Ask yourself one honest question today: What am I still waiting for someone else to do that I need to do myself? Then take one small step in that direction before the day is over.