Recently, I asked myself a simple question. When was the last time I truly felt like myself? I realized I didn’t have an answer. For most of my life, I do not think I ever really knew who I was.

I grew up with a lot of anxiety. I was picked on from elementary school into high school, and because I was shy, I learned to laugh through things that were actually hurting me. That shaped me in ways I did not fully understand at the time. It made me look for approval in other people instead of building security within myself.

I started third grade in speech lessons, and from fourth through eighth grade I was in special reading classes. At that age, it felt embarrassing. I had very little self esteem. School did not come naturally to me, and I struggled to complete work on my own. I relied on the internet, classmates, and cheating just to get by. 

By the time I got to high school, my mental health had gotten worse. I was getting into unnecessary fights with my mom, and more than anything, I just wanted to feel something. I wanted to fit in. I wanted to be accepted. I started going to parties and convincing myself that drinking, smoking, and sleeping around was normal. I was easily influenced by the people around me because I had no real sense of self. I was not living with intention. I was numbing.

Therapy and medication started to help, and somehow I made it through high school. After graduating, I knew I wanted more for myself. I stopped drinking and started focusing on my career. I got my real estate license at 18 years old, and being young, naive, and open to every opportunity, I ended up going through one of the most painful and traumatic experiences of my life. It exposed me to the reality that there are people in this world who do not have good intentions.

That experience made me step away from real estate for a few months because I genuinely did not know if I wanted to continue. Eventually, I found my way back through a company and agents who reminded me that not every environment is the same. That gave me the confidence to start again.

Even then, I was still just trying to get by in life. I still struggled with my mental health, and I still made mistakes that I regret now. There are many things I would do differently, but I try not to allow myself to sit in regret. Through all the mistakes and hard times, I have learned valuable lessons that I carry with me moving forward.

Today I am 3.5 years sober. I am off all medication. And for the first time in my life, I feel like I am actually trying to live authentically as myself.

I have found so much purpose through Gifted Angels. It has become more than just a brand to me. It represents discipline, purpose, self respect, and becoming.

Gifted Angels was never meant to represent perfection. It represents transformation.

The truth is, none of us are that different. We all face moments where we feel lost, uncertain, or disconnected from who we truly are.

This brand exists to remind people that purpose can be built, discipline can be developed, and a completely new version of yourself can be created through the decisions you make every day.

I want Gifted Angels to be a voice for people who feel lost, disconnected, or unsure of their purpose. Because the truth is, purpose is not something you magically wake up with. Sometimes it is built slowly through discipline, through mistakes, and through the decision to keep going when life feels uncertain.

I want to speak on the things I wish I understood earlier because maybe hearing them sooner would have saved me time, pain, and confusion. I went from hating everything about school to enjoying reading and wanting to learn as much as possible. I went from feeling deeply insecure to starting my own business, beginning my real estate career, trusting my judgment, building my confidence, working in high stake environments, and finally becoming someone who actually follows through on what she says she is going to do.

So to go back to the question I asked myself, when was the last time I truly felt like myself?

The honest answer is that I do not know if I ever really did.

For most of my life, I was just reacting to the world around me. Trying to fit in. Trying to be accepted. Trying to become whoever I thought people wanted me to be.

It has taken me 21 years to finally feel like I am starting to discover who I actually am.

I still do not have every answer, and maybe I never fully will. But I know that every day I have the opportunity to show up as the person I want to become. And if I keep choosing that version of myself, eventually that will be who I am.

And if you are struggling right now, I want you to know that where you are is not where you have to stay. You are not disqualified by your past. You are not too far behind. You are not too broken to rebuild.

If I can find my way back to myself, you can too.