The Story Behind You Are Your Solution!

Life is the most interesting thing that we will each experience. My specific experience brought me to the realization that You Are Your Solution!™.

When I was 25 with two children, one severely handicapped, the other a newborn, I found myself with no direction other than repeating the same things each day over and over again. One day I was in my robe at one in the afternoon as I had been busy all day with the children and looked in the mirror. I looked old, my eyes had no twinkle, I was undernourished, dehydrated and unhappy. I quickly realized I had to do something. I looked in the mirror and said out loud, “You Are Your Solution!™” What are you going to do to solve your problems and take charge of your life? From that day on, I started each day by telling myself “You Are Your Solution!™;” it became my credo.

The subsequent years took me back to school, saw me build a successful career in the field of Human Resources, allowed me to travel the world and work with remarkable people to help them find their solutions.

Taking charge of my life was anchored with this statement: it worked for me and I’m confident it can work for you.

Solution 1:

I got up every morning, got dressed, put makeup on, got the kids dressed and I would go out with kids in tow, to research colleges and programs, daycares for my children, before tackling my next solution.

I know this sounds simple but the easiest place to start is with one solution at a time.

As I embraced this new mindset, I discovered that each small step I took built my confidence and created momentum. Even on days when progress felt slow, reminding myself of my personal power helped me stay motivated. Over time, these daily actions added up, transforming not just my outlook but my entire life. I learned that lasting change begins with believing in your own ability to solve problems and move forward.

Solution 2:

I started searching for a job. With no formal education, what could I do that would support me and my children? I stumbled onto something I could be good at: recruiting. Once I started work, I wanted to determine if this was the right job for me. Was it something I could see myself turning into a career? What did I need to do to make myself valuable to an employer? How could I become the best, knock them dead, make money, and still have quality of life and time for my children? My life was outlining my solutions.

Solution 3:

Next was to get to work on educating myself and getting every certification in the field of recruiting. Where should I go? Pursue educators in the field of what? Exhausting, frustrating, empowering! How could I fit it all in? Dig it out! Call colleges, certification organizations, ask co-workers. Get busy! Time was running out. I was 27. Wait, who would take care of my children while I went to school at night? Solution: call the college and ask if they had a daycare. If not, I would ask if I could bring them to class. So…my solution was I took a child in a wheelchair and a baby in a carrier to night school with me.

Solution 4:

Finding the right fit and then turning that fit into a career was often exhausting. Finding the right fit for daycares, entrusting my children to people I didn’t know was at times terrifying. Look across the spectrum of friends, family members and church, and ask for help. Your networks are part of your solution. Reaching out is part of your solution. Don’t be shy. Ask for help from your trusted solutions and advisors.

Overall Solution Outlook: The hours you must work, picking up children before the daycare closes, weekend work, addressing who takes care of your children… These are all challenges that require you to say, “You Are Your Solution!™” You must be the one to find, secure and be prepared to tweak as you go along.