I didn’t start here.
I got here by choosing to grow: physically, mentally, and in the direction of my life. None of it happened overnight.
Born dyslexic, with ADHD.
I suffered a lot in school and later in the workplace. I often felt disrespected and like I didn’t fit in. That took away a lot of my confidence and really affected my emotions.
Drink, cigarettes, gambling, and a face that said I was fine.
I escaped the world I was living in, and for a long time I wore a mask so no one could see what was actually going on underneath. Social anxiety and fear followed me into relationships, into work, into rooms I didn’t feel I belonged in. For a long time I let it shrink me.
Facing it head-on instead of running from it is one of the biggest shifts I’ve made, and it’s still something I work on every day. There are no quick fixes. Real change takes real work.
Fighting Lyme disease.
It drained my energy and crashed my immune system. Even simple daily tasks became a struggle, and I suffered a lot just getting through the day. I learned so much about my health, and how I rebuilt my immune system.
I stopped drinking.
That decision changed everything: my energy, my focus, my clarity. Today I walk every morning, I eat clean, I’ve cut way back on sugar and junk food, and I’m always working on my relationships and my mindset.
Sea swims make me feel alive. Jumping into cold water is one of the best mindset resets I know. Mountains and walking fill me with fresh air. Up there, I can just feel the goodness. Training taught me discipline. Walking barefoot on sand and grass taught me to slow down and stay present.
My faith carries me through all of it. I say the rosary every day, and I know I’m never walking through any of this alone.
Day one of the next chapter.
If you think real change is only for people in their twenties, I’m living proof that’s not true. I’m training harder than ever, and showing it as it happens, not just the finished result.
This next chapter is about growth. I’ll keep growing, keep believing in myself, and trust that I’m on the right road. I just want to be the best version of myself.
I work as an SNA, and I’m building the life I actually want: coaching people one-to-one, working for myself, free to travel and live on my own terms.
The old version of me is gone. The new version is becoming a reality. I’m not waiting for life to change anymore. I’m changing it, one day at a time. Every day, all my actions lead to the life I want to create.
Cóilín