Our History Helps Us Get To Where We Are Today

Photo Credits: Amber Lilyestrom

The Robert E. Lee monument stood for something that felt right at the time.

At that moment in life

At that moment of circumstances

At that moment of conflict

At that moment of opinion

Regardless of right, wrong, or neutral, it was a moment in history that has imprinted on us--all of us.

It was a stamp in our history that marked a moment in our life, our past life. We didn’t have a choice of when or how it happened.

The imprint is part of us, whether we like it or not.

Just like when we are child, we don’t have much control around the different experiences we are exposed to. Memories are imprinted on us in our emotions, and our body physically imprints scars from different things that happen.

We don’t have an option for these experiences to be in our life. Either we weren’t alive, aware, or frankly too young to know any better. 

We DO have the choice to have these imprints provide us the OPPORTUNITY to make a different meaning in our life AND to make our current life different.

Instead of having our imprints stop or halt us in our power, why don’t we allow it to light the flame inside us and fuel us to move in the direction that we want it? 

Instead of remembering when you charged that big purchase to your credit card, look at it as the moment in which you stood up for yourself and said NO MORE and taking control of your money

Instead of missing out on that promotion, look at what that opportunity opened up for you in your life now.

Instead of the Robert E. Less Monument being a time in our history where people felt it important to support slavery, have it be the FORK IN THE ROAD so that we can say we no longer stand for that in our country.

Like our own wealth story, we can allow out past to propel us forward rather than it stopping us from what we truly want. 

When we started our journey, my husband’s student loan amount alone, was over $150,000 (just his alone-whew).

We very well could have waved our hands and said “there’s no way we’re getting out of it,” and put our head back down (I assure you, I didn’t think that at first).

But I knew that wasn’t going to serve us.

Therefore, we decided to have it propel us and we’ve paid off over $200K in just under five years.

You see, this is the opportunity for us to step into OUR COURAGE and BRAVERY and pave a DIFFERENT path.

A different path that is DIFFERENT than our past.

A different path that now represents a reminder that this no longer exists.

This is hard.

This is scary.

But we are different now.

YOU are different now.

Are YOU brave enough to step into what you truly want for this life?

Is the answer if yes, then start with LOVE.

Love yourself SO MUCH that you believe in YOUR dreams.

Love HARD ENOUGH to do ONE baby step to bring you closer.

Love VIBRANTLY so others can proudly see what you are doing and they can LEARN from you.