Episode 24: You Aren't Your Failures

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Has life knocked you around? Have you had a relationship fizzle out or one blow up? Or, maybe it was a moral failure or a professional set back. For some, it might be a life filled with “have to” instead of “want-to” or being in a season where you’re wondering, “what happened to my life?”

In Season 4 of the All Gifts Podcast, we’re diving into topics from my life and from my memoir, All Gifts. I was delighted when a friend introduced me to Episode 24’s guest, Cindy Villanueva. We were both unwed teen moms who bounced back from that failure only to end up with divorce, domestic violence, and career setbacks as part of our stories.

But instead of allowing those twists to compound into devastating failure, we fought back.

In her memoir, Don’t Fight Mad, a Blackbelt’s Quest to Recapture Joy, Cindy shares how she transformed life’s challenges into gifts of resilience and strength. Like me, Cindy bounced back from her hardships as a teen mom. She persevered in getting her education, pursued her career, and successfully raised her children.

We both learned that we aren’t our failures. And, thanks to our faith, we’ve also learned that we aren’t what we’ve accomplished. Our identities are more than our degrees, careers, and even our children.

As I shared on Episode 13 regarding addiction and Episode 20 regarding spiritual identity, having an identity based on being a beloved child of God is what gives me the strength to withstand life’s challenges. As I learn to live from this place, my life has begun to take on a rich abundance apart from my accomplishments.