“No More Excuses part 2: Learning to Pivot Through Pain”

Stories from the S.A.F.E. Space

There’s a quote I hold close:

“Excuses are tools of incompetence used to build bridges to nowhere and monuments of nothingness, and those who use them seldom specialize in anything else.”

I’ve certainly felt the pull of excuses in my life. My mental illnesses and past traumas sometimes felt like reasons not to audition, not to socialize, or not to step fully into opportunities. And every time I gave in, it didn’t protect me — it isolated me, kept me small, and pulled me further from the life I wanted to live.

But here’s what I’ve learned: my weaknesses are also my strengths. One of my favorite sayings is:

“You find your greatest strengths through your greatest weaknesses.”

It’s not just a catchy phrase — it’s real life. The moments I feel smallest, most vulnerable, or most exhausted are often the moments where I discover how resilient and determined I truly am. Growth doesn’t happen in comfort — it happens in pivoting, bending, and choosing to rise anyway.

This truth is something I wrote about in a poem recently, and I want to share it here because it perfectly captures the journey of learning to move past excuses and claim your strength:

Poem: “She Learned to Pivot”

She’s been through it all
Trauma, mental illness, abuse
She started to think
What’s the use?

The weight of the world
The weight of her life
The pain of yesterday
The struggles, the strife

She thought there was no way out
That the pain would never end
But she learned to pivot
She learned to bend

Healing became her guide
She found there were people on her side

The poem is a reminder that no matter how heavy life gets, there is always a way to pivot, to bend, and to find support. Excuses may feel like protection, but growth lives on the other side of discomfort. Showing up, even when it’s hard, is where strength, clarity, and connection reside.

Balancing self-compassion with accountability is tricky — some days you need to be gentle with yourself, and other days you need to take that leap anyway. The key is recognizing which is which, and understanding that excuses should never keep you from your own potential.

✨ TAG, You’re It!

Reflect on this:

Where have my excuses been keeping me from showing up fully — for myself, my dreams, or my community?
What’s one small step I can take today to pivot, bend, or show up differently, using my struggles as fuel for strength?