Healing, Resilience, and the Courage to Begin Again

Some conversations stay with you long after they’re over. My recent conversation on the BFF Empowerment Podcast with bestselling author Debbie Weiss was one of those conversations.

What began as a discussion about her books quickly became a deeply honest and powerful exchange about caregiving, parenting children with autism, surviving trauma, healing, and finding the courage to rewrite your story no matter where you are in life.

At the heart of our conversation was one simple but life-changing truth: it is never too late to choose yourself.

The Weight of Caregiving

Debbie shared how caregiving shaped so much of her life. At just 17 years old, she became a caregiver for her father after he suffered a massive stroke. That role would continue for decades.

Later, she became a caregiver to her son, who was diagnosed on the autism spectrum, and eventually to her husband as well.

Like so many women, Debbie spent years pouring into everyone around her while putting herself last.

By the time she reached 50, she found herself exhausted, burned out, and asking the hard questions many women eventually face:

Who am I outside of taking care of everyone else?

It’s a question so many of us can relate to.

As women, mothers, caregivers, and nurturers, we often become so focused on helping others that we lose sight of ourselves in the process.

Autism Advocacy: The Journey of Being Heard

One of the most relatable parts of our conversation was our shared experience as mothers raising sons with autism.

As a blind mother, I opened up about the years I spent advocating for my son before finally receiving the diagnosis I already knew was there.

For years, I was dismissed.

I was told I was overreacting.

I was made to feel as though my concerns were simply the fears of a first-time mom.

But deep down, I knew something wasn’t right.

Finally, after years of pushing, advocating, and refusing to stay silent, my concerns were validated.

Debbie shared similar experiences navigating the challenges of raising a child with autism and the many additional diagnoses that often come alongside it.

Parenting a child with autism requires a level of advocacy, patience, and resilience that many people simply don’t understand unless they’ve lived it.

There are hard moments.

There are exhausting seasons.

There are victories that others may never recognize but mean everything to you.

And through it all, we continue showing up.

From Victim to Victor

During the episode, I shared deeply personal parts of my own story.

I spoke about surviving childhood abuse, losing my vision due to abuse and neglect, enduring domestic violence, and the years I spent unknowingly living with a victim mentality.

For so long, trauma shaped the way I saw myself.

It shaped the relationships I accepted.

It shaped the life I believed I deserved.

Until one day, I had an awakening.

I realized that if I didn’t change, my story would continue writing itself for me.

That moment became the beginning of my healing journey.

Healing wasn’t instant.

It took years of spiritual growth, self-work, reflection, and eventually therapy to fully understand the depth of what I had survived.

But through that process, I learned something powerful:

Our pain may shape us, but it does not have to define us.

We always have the power to rewrite the narrative.

The Power of “Maybe I Can”

Debbie’s memoir, On Second Thought, Maybe I Can, captures a mindset shift that resonated deeply with me.

So often, our first instinct is fear.

We say no before we’ve even considered what’s possible.

We stay inside the comfort zone because it feels safe.

But growth happens when we pause long enough to ask:

What if I can?

That simple mindset shift has the power to transform everything.

It’s the same mindset that led me to step outside my comfort zone and enter my first pageant—a decision that ultimately led to me becoming Ms. Altruistic 2025.

It’s the same mindset that pushed me to write books, launch a podcast, create the No Limits Girl Empowerment App, and continue using my story to empower others.

Sometimes all it takes is one brave yes.

Healing Requires Action

One of the most important takeaways from our conversation was the reminder that healing doesn’t happen by simply wishing for change.

It requires intentional work.

Debbie’s second book, The Sprinkle Effect, focuses on the practical tools people can use to examine limiting beliefs and create lasting change.

We talked about journaling, meditation, self-reflection, and doing the inner work required to identify the beliefs that may be silently holding us back.

Healing requires honesty.

It requires courage.

And often, it requires us to become uncomfortable enough to grow.

Your Story Isn’t Over

If there is one message I hope listeners took away from this episode, it’s this:

Your story is not over.

No matter what you’ve survived.

No matter how many setbacks you’ve faced.

No matter how stuck you may feel right now.

There is always another chapter waiting to be written.

You have the power to choose healing.

You have the power to choose growth.

You have the power to rewrite your story.

And sometimes, all it starts with is a single thought:

On second thought… maybe I can.