We all face obstacles. Whether they be small obstacles or big obstacles, we face them. And we face them daily. You’re not alone. You are not empty. You CAN and WILL overcome any obstacle that comes your way.

I’d like to take a moment to share an obstacle I faced in my life, which led me to another obstacle, which made me who I am today. About two years ago, I lost my grandma to pancreatic cancer. I remember the day so clearly, as if it was just yesterday. But I want to take you back before that time. A year prior to my grandma’s passing, I went over to visit her at her house on a Saturday. Her and I just sitting in the kitchen for some bonding time. The kitchen was her sanctuary. It was where all the magic happened with her cooking, her stories, her laughs, everything. It was HER kitchen. That day, we were going through her jewelry box for fun and she was showing me all her pieces of jewelry and the story behind them. She asked me to pick out some jewelry and I asked her why. She said it was because she wanted to pass them down to me. We sat there picking out jewelry for myself, my sister, my mom, my cousins, and the rest of the family. I asked her why we were doing this. She said, “Because I won’t be around much longer. I can feel it. This is my last year.” I laughed and said “Grandma, you’re going to live forever. You can’t leave.” She seemed so confident, it seemed strange, but I moved on and didn’t think anything of it. A week later, she became sick with Shingles. I thought it would go away or get better, but it ended up just getting worse. Six months later she was hospitalized and the shingles spread amongst her body. Over the course of the year, I watched my grandma go from laughing, to laying down, to being hospitalized, to then being incapable of going back home; the home she loved and created memories in. The point of this story is not to feel sad or sorry, but how I took her advice and took it to heart. A month before she passed away, my grandma gave me her last piece of advice. She said “Chantelle, whatever you do in life, do it well, and do what makes you happy. You don’t need to be the smartest, the most powerful, or the highest in your job. All you need to do is take a risk and do something that makes you smile. Promise me that? I want you to be happy. Be Happy.”

All my grandma wanted was my happiness, and the reason was because she saw my unhappiness. My unhappiness, that I was so unaware of at the time. I thought my state of mind at that time, WAS happy. Reality was-it was just a mask. It was just a locked door and I was simply needed to find the key to unlock my TRUE happiness. I took a risk, got my dream job in Santa Monica. I took another risk, and pursued my dream to work at Lululemon and educate the world on my favorite product. I took another risk, and purchased, designed, and began my website to write this blog. You see? Life’s about taking risks, because you have to trust that God has a better plan than you could have imagined for yourself. Sometimes you may not see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you have to trust the sunshine is just beyond the clouds.

My true happiness is where I am at now. Doing what I love, in jobs I love, free of pain from the past, removed all things tying me down, designed a website to start this blog, new friendships, and having a true smile on my face. The best part, is that I still have my grandma with me. I feel her every day, in everything I do, everything I touch, every word I say, and every melody I hear. She’s there. She’s  in my heart. The greatest obstacle in my life, turned into the biggest reason to smile, and fulfill my grandma’s promise: To Be Happy.

To hear more stories about obstacles we face daily, check out my good friend Davis Dolan’s new movie campaign:

Tajari

Click here to learn more and reading an inspiring film in making: Tajari by Davis Dolan

Website: https://davisdolan.com/

Instagram: @Tajarimovie Click Here!