Hey there, wonderful readers! It’s Tina, your cheerful storyteller and believer in the human spirit’s tenacity. Today, I’m sharing a heartfelt saga that’ll hit close to home for anyone who’s ever felt like life has them on a never-ending treadmill, only to find a way to leap forward after years of stumbling. It’s about overcoming guilt, finding hope, and finally making something remarkable out of life after an eternity in a self-imposed rut.

Meet Lucy. Picture a 40-year-old woman whose heart is as big as her collection of regrets—which, if we’re being honest, is sizable enough to sink a small boat. Lucy had been trapped in a cycle of helplessness for so long that the rut she was in felt less like a phase and more like a permanent residence. Every time she managed to take two steps ahead, she found herself yanked back to square one.

Lucy’s professional life was the stuff of frustration legends. She had dreams—big ones—of becoming a creative director in advertising. But after a promising start, a series of unfortunate layoffs and wrong career moves left her stumbling through temp jobs that barely lit her fire.

She tried, oh she tried. She would land a project that seemed like her big break, only to have it pulled away by circumstances beyond her control. The latest was a particularly heart-wrenching loss. She was part of a team pitching for a major account, and their presentation was flawless. Everyone was sure they had it in the bag. But at the last minute, the client decided to go in a different direction. Two steps ahead, and again, Lucy found herself back at the start line.

Her personal life was no smoother terrain. After a painful breakup, Lucy had retreated into a shell, guilt-tripping herself into believing she was the problem. Friends drifted away as she became increasingly reclusive, and family gatherings left her feeling like the black sheep who couldn’t quite get life together.

Months turned into years, and Lucy’s self-blame became a constant echo in her mind—“If only I had done this differently… If only I was better… If only.”

But one Tuesday evening, as she was sitting through yet another unfulfilling webinar about “Finding Your Passion,” Lucy had a moment of clarity. It wasn’t a lightning bolt epiphany; more like a quiet whisper. She realized that she couldn’t keep living under the weight of what-ifs and guilt. She needed to take a bold step—something drastically different.

Lucy decided to approach life as if she was learning to swim again. Step one: Take a deep breath and admit that she needed help to stay afloat. She started by reaching out to a local support group for people struggling with career setbacks and life transitions. Initially, her guilt made this feel like an admission of failure, but to her surprise, she found herself amongst people who understood and didn’t judge.

Encouraged by the camaraderie, Lucy took another step: She signed up for a night class in digital marketing. It was in a field adjacent to her dreams, but different enough to shake her out of her rut. The class required her to think in new ways and brought back a glimmer of the curiosity she thought she’d lost.

Through the support group and the class, Lucy met Anna, an energetic woman who’d once been in a similar boat but had managed to paddle out of it. Anna became a mentor of sorts, offering advice peppered with her own humorous anecdotes of floundering through life. Together, they lamented their setbacks, but more importantly, they celebrated their small wins.

Lucy’s first big win came a year later. With Anna’s encouragement, she decided to pitch her own freelance digital marketing services. Her first client was a small bakery looking to improve their social media presence. The project was a smashing success, not because it made her rich, but because it made her believe in herself again.

With each completed project, Lucy’s confidence grew. She started attending industry meetups, handing out business cards with a smile instead of an apology. Opportunities began to multiply, and instead of feeling undeserving, Lucy embraced them with both hands.

But the defining moment—the true “I’ve made it” point—came when Lucy was asked to speak at a webinar (ironically) about career reinvention. Standing in front of the camera, she shared her story with a raw honesty that resonated deeply with many.

“I spent years blaming myself for where I was in life,” she said. “I took two steps forward and got thrown back so many times I lost count. But the truth is, the only real failure is to stop trying. And the secret is, you don’t have to do it alone.”

Lucy—once a resident of Rutville—hadn’t just found a way out; she’d built herself a new map for life. She understood now that setbacks were just part of the journey, not the end of it. Her past, laden with mistakes and missteps, became her guiding light to help others who felt stuck.

And dear readers, if there’s anything Lucy’s story teaches us, it’s this: Our guilt, our blame, our setbacks—all those things don’t define us. We are defined by how we rise, how we seek help, and how we keep moving, no matter how many times we’re pulled back.

So, here’s to taking steps forward, to seeking support, and to the beautiful, resilient journey of making something extraordinary out of ourselves, no matter how long it takes.

Love & Triumphant Hugs,
Tina