From Breakdown to Breakthrough

A couple of years ago, I had a full-blown breakdown. Not the cute, “just need a bubble bath” kind—but the dark, heavy, suicidal kind.

I got help. I went to therapy. But even with support, I recoiled. I built walls so high no one could possibly climb over them. You know that quote, “I overhealed—now I hate everyone”? Yeah, that was me.

In that space of self-preservation, I did a lot of reflecting. And what I realized surprised me:

My circle changed. Or maybe it just revealed itself.

My so-called “friends”? Still drinking. Still partying. Still gossiping—mostly about me.

But my work circle? They were reading books, going to summits, chasing growth. And that contrast lit something in me I didn’t know I had.

Suddenly, knowledge became my superpower. I might not be at the top of the leaderboard, but I can hold my own. And better yet? My phone rings now because I add value, not because I’ve got the latest gossip.

That shift—choosing the energy I wanted to be around—changed everything.

If you’re in a season of solitude, maybe it’s not punishment. Maybe it’s preparation.
Rebuilding starts within—but thriving? That comes from choosing the right people to rise with.