I have an incredibly awesome life. It’s something I always knew deep down, but somewhere along the way, I forgot. Before I got married to Mark, I was fully aware of how lucky I was. Every morning, I woke up with gratitude, amazed that I had built a life where I was financially independent, free, and in complete control of my future. I wasn’t rich, but I was comfortable, and more importantly, I had the freedom to do whatever the hell I wanted. It was awesome.  

But then life happened. Marriage happened. Divorce happened. Heartbreak clouded my vision, and I lost sight of everything I had built.  

When my marriage started to unravel, it felt like my entire world was crashing down. The pain was all-consuming. Instead of seeing the abundance in my life, all I could see was loss—the loss of a future I had envisioned, the loss of love, the loss of stability. It felt like I had nothing, even though I still had everything.

Grief does that. It distorts reality. It convinces you that the thing you lost is the only thing that ever mattered, when in truth, it was just one part of your story.  

The Moment I Remembered How Lucky I Am  

Now that I’ve emotionally detached from Mark, it feels like waking up from a fog. I’m remembering— really remembering—how objectively amazing my life is. It’s not even a matter of realization so much as a return to what I already knew:  

• I have built a life of freedom.  
• I have the ability to travel, explore, and design my own future.  
• I am financially independent, which gives me options that most people only dream about.  
• I am raising my kids on my own terms, showing them a life that is expansive, adventurous, and limitless.  
• I have everything I need. And that’s the wild part—I always did.  

I just forgot.  

Why Gratitude is the Ultimate Game-Changer 

This isn’t just about me. So many of us forget how lucky we are. We get so caught up in what’s missing, in what’s wrong, that we lose sight of what’s right. We tell ourselves that we’ll be happy when—when we find love, when we make more money, when we fix whatever problem is taking up space in our minds.  

But what if everything we needed was already here? What if we just had to remember?  

For a while, I thought I needed a relationship to feel complete. I thought I needed a partnership to feel secure. Now I realize: I am already whole. I have everything I need to live a fulfilling, joyful, adventurous life.  

The only thing that ever stood in my way was my own perspective.  

Living Life on My Terms  

I’m about to embark on an adventure through Latin America with my kids, and the only reason I can do that is because of the choices I made. I built this life. I created this freedom. And instead of letting a failed marriage define me, I’m choosing to embrace the next chapter with excitement, with courage, and with deep gratitude.  

This isn’t about “moving on.” It’s about returning to myself.  

Because the truth is, * was never lost. I just needed to remember.  

And now, I do.