Chapter 2: The Wind Doesn’t Always Have to be at Your Back to Move Forward

As is the case with every human, the intersection of privilege and lack of privilege, tailwind and headwind, has influenced where I find myself today. The resilience I cultivated early on propelled me deep into an adult life circumstance that had a familiar blend of build you up and knock you down.

I started and efforted mightily to build a business that was both financially viable and a vibrant, thriving community that would facilitate growth for every member. I stood tall as a former business partner brought a lawsuit that drug on for 30 months and cost my family over $140,000 in legal fees. I showed up in my relationship with a life/business partner who, I found out later, kept a significant part of himself shielded from me. I folded 2 kiddos into the mix; choosing to keep them close and raise them immersed in the community I was working hard to develop. I ascended the ranks in martial arts and in sport.

I am a hard worker and if I could influence the direction of the tides in my life through effort I dug down and did it. I held fast to a belief that I could be strong enough, effortful enough, and more than enough for myself and everyone around me.

This belief was useful for so long, that when it no longer was I felt smacked down by life and literally needed a complete outlook overhaul to survive.