It’s My Birthday: From Uncertainty to Growth

Move at your own pace. You have control of your destiny. You have all of the tools that you need. Don’t just let life happen to you; make it happen for you. Every day is a blessing. You are on the right path. Those are just a few variations of mantras that I regularly reminded myself of during this past year of my life. They served as reminders during every moment that I doubted myself, which was often; and every moment that I found myself distracted. I return to those mantras because they all remain true no matter where I am in life.

I started out last year jobless and unsure of what was to come. I lost 2 jobs; my side gig and my day job. I worked for my former employer for 9 years and was laid-off during the pandemic. Yes, 9 years. The funny thing is that I felt a sense of relief when I was notified of the lay-off. Sure, I had the normal concerns like how I would pay my mortgage and having to put certain goals on hold but mentally it was what I needed. As grateful as I was for my last job it didn’t fulfill me in the slightest bit. It had actually become crippling over the years. 

After being laid off I took a few months for myself, reflected and experienced what it felt like to be still and strictly do what Dana wanted. I began to think of ways that I could take advantage of my new found freedom. After all, I had worked for the past 10 years of my life and for the first time, as an adult, had no one to answer to but myself. I decided that I would dedicate my time to starting my blog and re-shaping my career. 

This first year of creating content was extremely empowering. No, my blog didn’t become an instant success. As a matter of fact, I still have a lot of work to do but the fact that you are here reading this is all that I ever wanted. I wanted to create a platform to share all of my creativity, my stories and all of the random things that interest me – and here we are. And guess what else?! I found another gig! I work in marketing and event planning and I work with some really amazing people. I’ll share more about that later.

So as I step into my next trip around the sun I plan to kick it up a few notches. Like every other year I strive to be a better partner, friend and family member. I will continue using my “tools” because they are truly gifts. Even on those days that aren’t so easy I am so thankful to be here! Happy birthday to me! – 2021