Life is full of experiences....some good, some bad, some that slap us in the face and force us to take a step back to ask "Why am I in this situation"...."Why am I experiencing this?". It may be that heart break, the lost of a loved one, having to quit college to take care of your sick father, sudden illness that has left you disabled....whatever it is, EVERYTHING we experience shapes our lives and the person we are destined to be. From the bigger situations that impact our lives down to the insignificant situations that will end up having a greater impact than we could have ever imagined...like babysitting your little cousin on Fridays, running track in college, or dog walking after school for extra cash. All of these things play an important role in developing each part of who we are for a greater purpose.

When we begin operating from a place of purpose we start to realize that none of our experiences were meant to break us down, but they were put in place to help us grow, gain experience, develop, and meet people who will later help us.

Earlier in my career when I was just starting out in marketing & advertising I remember working for a company for about 10-12 months and i started having a really hard time there. Since I'm not one to run from my troubles, I stayed and tried everything in my power to improve my situation.

After several months of a lot of criticism from my directors, anxiety, discomfort, and moments of self-doubt about growing into the marketing professional I was hopeful to become....I decided to seek a new job since I wasn't happy in my current situation. I went on several interviews and presented several proposals which led me to the last interview of my DREAM JOB....I was so excited & nervous. All of my excitement & nerves built up only to discover 2 weeks later they decided to go with someone else for the position. I was crushed, I was devastated....how could they not pick me? Was I not good enough? Could i have done something differently? Initially I started to ask myself all of these questions, but then something came over me.....and although I was completely devastated about having to go back to this job that I dreaded....I had FAITH & i knew that if it wasn't this dream job then God had something else in store for me. And with this thought I was comforted in knowing that God had my back & I need not to worry.

I continued to work at this job that completely sucked the joy out of me for several more months all while still interviewing in hopes of landing a job that spoke more to the person I was and my passion. I stayed faithful, I stayed humble, I stayed grateful. After several months, one day (randomly) i received an email from the DREAM JOB I had interviewed at several months prior stating they had another position and would love if I could come in to chat about it. I went in, we chatted, and 2 weeks later I had landed my DREAM JOB.

In that very moment, that surreal moment I realized...not getting the job several months prior was not a setback, it was my SET UP. I was forced to wait...because I still needed to grow, I needed to fight longer to be strengthened, I needed to meet my new director who was hired and took me under her wing to help groom me in the areas I lacked, I needed to learn patience, I needed to be set up for my DREAM. Not only was this experience for me to learn, but I now understand that we are faced with certain experiences so we can get through them and share to inspire others.

"Each experience, each challenge, each lesson will take you to the next dimension, building on what's already inside of you"

Today, I encourage you to learn to look differently at everything you've been through and will go through because this new perspective on your experiences will set you up to win. Get rid of the victim mentality...everything you've been through will be used to fortify you with wisdom and knowledge to fulfill your purpose. Isn't that the most comforting thing to know?