It’s easy to define ourselves by our past:
The mistakes we made.
The times we stayed silent.
The moments we didn’t show up the way we wished we had.

But growth means giving yourself permission to evolve.
You are not the same person you were back then.
You’re allowed to change. You’re allowed to heal.
You’re allowed to make new choices with the wisdom you’ve earned.

You don’t have to be perfect to move forward.
You just have to be honest and willing.
You’re allowed to forgive yourself.

You don’t have to stay stuck in an old story.

You are not your worst day.
You’re who you’re becoming.

Keep shining, friend.

Kaitlyn

In 2010, an employment agency connected me with a local manufacturing company for a temporary assembly line job. On my first day—and for weeks after—I wasn’t confident at all.

I was terrified. I had never been inside a manufacturing plant (Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory doesn’t count!), and I had no idea what to expect. At the time, the only thing that gave me courage—and kept me moving—was that I needed to support my three children. There weren’t other options.

I remember sitting alone in my car during lunch, staring down at my turkey sandwich and wondering: What the heck am I doing here? How did a music education major end up wearing steel-toe boots in the parking lot of a spring manufacturing company? How am I going to keep this up?

Fortunately, the work wasn’t hard, and the people were kind—but what really changed things for me was how curious I became. I asked questions. I paid attention. I watched the process and started to understand the craft behind it. I was a sponge, soaking up everything I could.

Somewhere in the middle of all that learning, something shifted. I thought: They’re creating something here. I want to create things, too.

That realization lit a spark. It gave the job meaning beyond survival—and that meaning gave me momentum.

Here’s what no one tells you:
Confidence often comes after you start. Not before.

I didn’t walk in with confidence.
I became confident by walking in anyway—and staying open to what I could discover.

Keep shining, friend.

Kaitlyn