Have you ever been to Sacre Coeur? It’s so beautiful.

Except 5-years ago.

It wasn’t SO beautiful.

This photo was taken after I experienced crazy claustrophobia climbing a never-ending tower that darkened and shrunk with each winding floor.

It was awful.

I struggled to breathe.

I got to the spire and the world opened up.

Just like that.

I felt relief and experienced one of the most beautiful views in Paris/Montemarte.

I chose to post about THAT on facebook and my instagram feed, instead of the struggle.

Now, I want to be real.

While the post-photo shot IS beautiful, the process itself was not.

It was uncomfortable.

The result was surreal – but the struggle was not to be undervalued.

Life is 50/50.

We need to be honest about what this means.

I think of my friends and clients with concussion/brain injury.

I signed up to climb that tower… They never signed up for brain injury.

That cannot be reversed.

It’s reality. I see you, I hear you.

While we can’t change our circumstance, we can choose how to think about it.

We can help you. We can become more of WHO we are because of our experiences.

My heart still races when I think about climbing that tower– but NOW for two different reasons – the cost AND the reward.

Embrace it all. I’m feeling very grateful. Life opens up when you open up to it!

Anything is possible.