My Fall Story: From Fallen to Thriving: Harvesting Growth, Joy, and Prosperity

The Fall

The Fall of 2022 was tough—I faced health issues, relationship losses, and career setbacks all at once!

I was recovering from Anemia and other health issues that led to four emergency room visits in the same week. This eventually resulted in a hysterectomy, marking the end of my childbearing years, a reality I had to come to terms with.

Two of my closest relationships disappeared overnight in the most devastating way—both in the same week!

And to top it off, I got laid off on my first day back from medical leave after 14 years of service in my corporate job. Ugh. Gut punch!

#pivot

Picking up the Pieces and Counting My Blessings: It Takes a Village

One beautiful thing that Fall was the overwhelming amount of love that poured in from my amazing friends and family. My cup runneth over! It was definitely a “footprints in the sand” season. My family and friends came to stay with me while I recovered from surgery. I didn’t ask—they just showed up. They called, listened, loved on me, gave me a shoulder to cry on. They cooked, cleaned, brought food, sent cards, and brought flowers. You all know who you are! I will forever be grateful for your love, friendship, and support during this tough time.

These beautiful angels literally helped nurse me back to health—physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Their love and support kept me from falling into a deep depression and helped me walk through that shitty season with grace, dignity, and even laughter!

The Work: Healing through the Pain

I had a lot of schtuff to work through. I grabbed my pen and paper and went to work—journaling, diving into personal development books and podcasts, prayer, and meditation. There were pity parties, ugly cry sessions, Netflix binges, and some comfort eating. Lol. Thank goodness I made it through in one piece. I grew from this experience. Some lessons hit me right away, others took a little longer to process.

Designing a Life of Love and Purpose

2024 was a pivotal year. I made the decision to design a life of love and purpose. I turned 50 in January and was very intentional about my life and the people in it. My 50th birthday party was amazing! The most important people in my life showed up—my people, the ones who have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly! These are my rides or dies!  I love every single one of them! #Godshot

I decided to get a Life Coach and work toward my Life Coach certification. I didn’t want to ever be in a position of getting laid off without a Plan B again.

That decision changed everything. It got me out of my comfort zone and gave me permission to DREAM big! To explore the possibility of “What if I succeed?” instead of “What if I fail?” That mindset shift was a game-changer. My Life Coach, Sarah Centrella, not only taught me her coaching methodology, the  Centrella Method™ but also shared her wisdom about entrepreneurship and being a Master Life Coach. She’s become family.

Fast Forward 2 Years: Fall of 2024

Human Becoming

I’m happy to report that I’ve completely healed from Anemia and the other health issues. I’m still with my corporate job, now in my 16th year of service.

I’m still in the process of healing from those relationship losses, but I can see the light.

As far as my career goes, my dream is to eventually leave my corporate job and work in the Wellness and personal development space full-time. The idea of changing people’s lives for a living? Exhilarating. I’m leaning into this energy this Fall as I head into 2025.

Growing Pains

This Fall, I feel like I’m on the brink of growth and change in every area of my life. Similar to a chrysalis transforming into a butterfly, or the way muscles grow after sustaining damage. That process of repairing damaged fibers to build something stronger.

Emotionally, I feel tender and sore. My nerve endings are raw. All my insecurities and fears have been popping up in every corner of my life. But I believe this is exactly where I’m supposed to be. I’m going to keep forging ahead, doing the work, and taking steps toward fulfilling my dreams. It’s a familiar feeling—I felt this same way in the Fall of 2019, right before I got a big promotion.  It's the process of shedding the old skin and developing new: molting.

My life today is so much better than I imagined and I cannot wait to see what’s next.

The Magic of Oregon during Harvest Season

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to visit Oregon’s Wine Country and Coast with my people. We stayed in a cozy cottage nestled in a picturesque campground.

I also got to meet my Life Coach in person at her #futureboards workshop with an incredible group of people who share a growth mindset. Everyone had fascinating stories, and it was amazing getting to know them. Sarah did an extraordinary job curating the event. It couldn’t have been more perfect—the location, the workshop, the people, the food, and the wine were all superb!

Our host, the owner of the winery, was an amazing storyteller. Her passion for creating unforgettable experiences shined through in everything she did—from wine tastings to harvest stories. And who doesn’t love wine tasting?

After the workshop, my beautiful friends and I had a “release party” at Cannon Beach located in the breathtaking Oregon Coast. We wrote down our fears, hurts, and limiting beliefs, grounded ourselves, and then let that shit go! #letitgo

My Dream Job

I have officially launched my business and getting to work with a paid client! It has been an amazing experience to help transform the life of another human! There is truly nothing like it!

I’m super excited for the next chapter! I can’t wait to continue to receive all the blessings this new journey holds. Here goes something.

My hope for you is to find the courage to dream BIG! To consider the possibilities. Keep going even when your world seems to be falling apart!  I hope that you design a life that you love and fills your cup with joy every day. I hope you get to share it with the people you love!

Xoxo,

Lorena Sources of inspiration:

Sarah Centrella, The Centrella™ Method. sarahcentrella.com; Books: The Things I Wish I Knew, #futureboards, Hustle Believe Receive

MedicalNewsToday’s article How to build muscle with exercise, January 15, 2024