Relationships are hard, work is hard, school is hard, mental health is hard, growing is hard, admitting things aren’t perfect is hard, vulnerability is hard, life is hard. However, we have the ability to choose how we view our hardships and how we will grow from them.
My name is Paige Boner, I am a 22 year old senior at the University of St. Thomas. I am inspired by the people around me and my own experiences in life; I believe that we all can learn from each other and our own life experiences in order to be the best version of ourselves. Ultimately we are here to make meaningful connections with one another and grow and learn every day.
Take a moment to imagine the people in your life that inspire you, lead you, and have helped you grow into who you are today...was their journey easy? Odds are, they had to go through hard times, life-changing moments, and pivotal experiences in order to be able to lead and inspire others.
The moments in life that challenge us are the moments that change us. We learn and grow from the hard things that we go through. It is essential that we recognize and process the times that we were challenged and pushed to the limit. Whether that be physically, emotionally, or mentally; we all have been through something that has impacted who we are as people.
My story started with my last name, as you can imagine, growing up with the last name Boner wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Today, I find it hilarious and I own it, however, that wasn’t always the case. I learned what it meant in 5th grade when the boys began to tease me about it. I went home and cried to my dad, I was confused and embarrassed. My dad told me that I can’t control it or change it, I can either wallow in it or I can rise above it and make the most of the situation. I went to school the next day and laughed along with the boys, they eventually stopped teasing me and I started to make the most of this ridiculous last name.
That advice that my dad gave to me has carried on in so many areas of my life. It was the most influential to me when I went through a hard breakup; I had spent weeks wallowing in my pain and feeling sorry for myself. Then, one day I woke up and thought to myself “What the f*ck are you doing?”. I heard my dad’s voice telling me that I have the ability to rise above this, so that’s exactly what I began to do. This was a long and hard process that I am still going through today, but ultimately I had the choice to either wallow in my pain or stand up and make a difference in my life and others.
I chose to grow and change and use my experiences to impact those around me and people that I don’t know. This decision is what led me to living a life that excites me and makes me want to be better each day. I have stronger relationships with my family and friends and I have made deep connections with people that were once strangers to me.
I believe that we will never stop growing; as we get older we are faced with more challenges that will teach us important lessons. It is essential that we take these challenges and make the decision to stand up and make a difference in our own lives and those around us. Being a leader means using your challenges what you have learned in order to ignite inspiration and motivation. Teach, help, learn, and grow, we all are broken, and we all need help at some point.
One year ago, I had a person in my life who encouraged me to use my voice to share my story, it took me a long time to understand the impact that my story and my voice could have on the people around me. However, here we are a year later and I have decided to start a podcast. If you want to know more about vulnerability, human connection, and the pivotal moments that impact our lives, I got you! “It’s Hard” has conversations with real people about the hard stuff in life. I’m challenging guests to be open, honest, and vulnerable about the tough parts of their lives, leading to growth and bettering human connection. Follow the link below!
Commentaires