Finding yourself when you least expect it

I Googled myself today. There I was, frozen in a YouTube thumbnail from a storytelling event I hadn't remembered was published. A time capsule of persistence delivered exactly when I needed the reminder. (The universe has perfect timing, doesn't it?)

Live storytelling is alchemy. Raw. Real. Revolutionary. It's where I feel most alive. Know any local stages hungry for stories? Don't hold out on me. 

Watching that video was like meeting every version of myself who dared to show up:

• Eight-year-old me, standing tall on borrowed confidence

• Eighteen-year-old me, following my gut toward my path and my people

• Twenty-two-year-old me, climbing steadily, armed with quiet certainty

• Fifty-one-year-old me, shakily staring down doubt because I could remembered what it was like to show up

Each version chose herself when the world whispered "maybe" or shouted "no."

We need these mirrors sometimes. These glimpses of our past courage, present strength, and future potential. It's not about permission—it's about backing your own play, consistently.

Your turn. What mountain calls you? What obstacle looms large? What dream keeps you up at night?

Share it—not for validation, but because speaking truth is showing up for yourself. Maybe it's moving your body today. Sending that scary email. Choosing the vegetable over the chips. These small acts of self-advocacy build the foundation for everything bigger.

Because every time we choose ourselves, we strengthen that voice that says "I've got my own back." Sometimes, that's the only voice we need to hear.

XOXO, 
Denise 

published 11.18.2024