“Investing in Me” has been one of the most important principles in my life when it comes to cultivating my self-worth and transitioning into the business-minded woman that I am, and aspire to be. There comes a time when you discover that you are the one in charge of your destiny, and that you drive the car wherever it is that you want to go. Taking the extra time, or the extra minute to ask yourself what it is that you want, or what it is you should be reaching for, sets a foundation that you can build off of for the rest of your life.

Just this past year I made a lot of changes that have turned my life upside down. After 12 years as a competitive sprinter, and two years as a collegiate sprinter I decided to walk away from my beloved sport of Track and Field and start focusing more on my future. Shortly after I stopped running I had made the decision to transfer schools and now find myself studying Journalism and Spanish at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan.

Prior to my decision I was facing an everyday battle of comfort v. unhappiness, and knowing that if I went through with my decision to stop running and transfer, the ending factor would be putting myself outside my comfort zone. So for two years I fought hard with that same battle, until it got to the point where I’d look in the mirror and almost didn’t recognize the person staring back at me. Continuing to do something that I had lost love for, and pretending that I was happy within in my sport and most importantly myself; I had marinated myself in my own confusion and it was a dead end. I handled that confusion by wrong decisions, putting my faith into the wrong people, and some of life’s greatest lessons had taken their course and I was forced to learn them the hard way. For so long I was solely focused on what was going on with those I surrounded myself with, I had failed to focus on what was going on with me - the most important person which in return caused my outlook on my own self to decline. After two years of this constant battle I had no other choice but to find the words within myself, and come to the realization that I was unhappy and something needed to change, and just like that it did.

When you decide to invest in yourself you’re investing in your needs, your wants, and your desires to shape your future and guide your way into whatever path or decision you chose. As a woman who has only had a short 21 years, I’ve learned that through experiences and transitions you find that strength and courage within yourself at the most unexpected times. Listen to yourself, trust your instincts, and know that whatever you chose when it starts with yourself, it’s a fair investment.