There may come a point in your life when you need to evaluate the path you’re going down.

I can’t tell you when it’s going to happen, but it will happen. You may have already experienced it. It’s a time of self-reflection that’s necessary for growth.

This can manifest in a multitude of ways.

It could be something simple like changing your spending habits, or as complex as finding a way off the streets. This world is going to throw curveballs at you. How you react to these curveballs can send you down two different routes.

It’s been said that our decisions make us who we are. I can tell you from experience that all it takes is a few bad choices and suddenly, you’re on the outside looking in on your own life. It can feel like you’re constantly climbing a hill with pressure mounting and weighing you down. It can feel like there’s no way out.

But don’t fret, just as your decisions can put you in a hole, you also have the power to make decisions that allow you to climb out of that hole.

In the summer of 2021, the world was in disarray. A year and a half of living in a pandemic that tore the world we knew to shreds had made us all a little paranoid and on edge. With so much negativity and fighting, it felt like there was no end in sight. Many people were getting sick and tired of basically being imprisoned in their homes. It wasn’t a fun time.

Differing views on masks, vaccines, politics, and misinformation were tearing us apart, and all that negativity was extremely unhealthy.

On a personal level, my entire life was crumbling around me.

I’m a small-town boy. I’m talking SMALL. Growing up in the rural community of Monte Lake, just outside of Kamloops, I had a different kind of upbringing. It’s a place where everyone knows everyone. It’s like a huge extended family. When a crisis hits a member of this “family,” we come together to support each other.

But that summer brought a crisis that nobody was prepared for. The White Rock Lake wildfire ignited in July, just after my 26^th birthday, and spread quickly. Fear and panic took over as the fire approached Monte Lake and Westwold in the weeks that followed.

On August 5, 2021, aggressive winds caused the fire to accelerate at a terrifying pace. In a flash, the inferno swept through the community, leaving a path of destruction in its wake the likes of which I’ve never seen before. The fire picked up speed so quickly that people were running for their lives, chased from their homes as everything they worked so hard to build literally went up in smoke.

My entire family was living a nightmare we couldn’t wake up from. The first time I saw the pile of ashes that used to be my childhood home, I was crushed. But what hurt the most was seeing what this was doing to so many loved ones. I couldn’t take it.

Meanwhile, my parents’ marriage was falling apart. It was the most tumultuous time in my life, and trust me, my life has been littered with tumult. Amidst the chaos, I made a post on Facebook that seemed to resonate with many:

“My heart goes out to all my friends and family who have suffered through this horrific fire. It’s hard to believe it’s even real. This is a tragic occurrence, but I am relieved to hear everyone made it out okay. Despite the destruction left in its path, the spirit of this community will live on. It’s not the houses, land, or personal belongings that make it such a special place… It’s the people. I may have left, but Monte Lake will always be home. I can’t imagine what you all must be going through right now. Stay strong… As our province burns, it is more important than ever that we all stay together and support each other. I love you all.”

The outpouring of love I received back from so many was inspiring. It made me realize that I have a voice. A voice that matters.

Years of tearing myself down and only seeing my flaws had blinded me to my potential. I was trapped under a blanket of low self-esteem and depression for years, and I didn’t even see what I was doing to myself. But throughout all the horror unfolding, something happened inside of me. Something changed. Ironically, the fire had ignited a fire inside of me that had been extinguished for years.

I decided to go back to school and pursue my dreams. I wanted to use my voice to make a difference in the world. I applied to the Radio Arts & Entertainment program here at BCIT, and the rest, as they say, is history.

I left my job which had been sucking the soul out of me for six years and embarked on a journey that has altered the course of my entire life. I’ve learned so much in my three terms at BCIT, met so many great people, and grown into a person I actually like. I spent years hating myself and tearing myself down, and what good did that do? Absolutely nothing.

I’ve shared this story with you today because I know I’m not the only one. But I’m living proof that no matter what darkness is dragging you down, it’s never too late to fight out of it. But it’s not just going to magically happen. You must put in the work, and quite frankly, it’s easier to just give up and drown in your sorrows.

But I beg you, DON’T. What comes out on the other end of that work is beautiful. You are beautiful and you have something to offer this world.

Don’t get in your own way. Let your voice be heard. Put yourself out there. You never know what you’re capable of until you try. You might fail, but that doesn’t mean you should give up. Failure can be the best thing for you.

There’s a lesson to be learned from every mistake, and if you learn that lesson, you’ll be better on the other side. Dust yourself off, get back on that horse, and keep trying. Don’t get so fixated on the destination that you forget to enjoy the journey there. You never know what’s around the corner.

Do you want to end up looking back on your life and wondering how it could have been had you done things differently?

Don’t doubt your potential. If you set your mind to something, you’ll be surprised by what you’re capable of.