I have never liked to fail – probably because I’m an enneagram three who fears it will make others think of me less. Mistakes aren’t imperfections – they’re just indications the chosen path wasn’t the right one.

Abraham Lincoln went bankrupt twice and was defeated in 26 campaigns for public office. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Stephen King’s iconic thriller Carrie was rejected 30 times – he even threw it away but his wife encouraged him to try one more time. Steven Spielberg was rejected from USC’s School of Theater, Film, and Television three times.

I wrote something like this a little more than a year ago, as I was beginning a new path on my fertility journey. I was hopeful and wanted everything to work out in 2021. Now we’re a few weeks into 2022 as we continue this journey. It has felt like failure many times, yet we’ve learned my challenges are multifaceted and require just the right amount of everything to make it work.

Recovery is similar, and anxiety proved that this last year. We will still make mistakes, but we know not to try that one thing again. We continue to choose things that choose us back, and ignore those that don’t serve us. Therapy, proper nutrition, enough sleep, and exercise all support my fertility success and keeping anxiety at bay.

What things have you learned help you in wellness? Find those and keep them close.

Kristen Ellis

Kristen has worked in the mental health field since 2013, with a focus on crisis work, substance use services, and bringing a voice to lived experience. Her ambition is to change the way mental health care and recovery is seen and achieved, so to redefine what it means to defeat adversity.