Episode 32 — Your Path is Yours and Yours to Own —with Cynthia Burton

Your path is yours for a reason. It’s yours to do as you please with and make the most out of. Maybe add some flowers on part of your path or take a rest at a bench somewhere down a little ways. Maybe even abandon your original path and start a new one! It doesn’t have to be the prettiest path, it just needs to work for you.Cynthia, an elementary school social worker, had to take a handful of detours throughout her early adulthood. From dealing with trauma, grief, mental health, etc, Cynthia persevered but eventually had to decide to reach out for help and take a break from college. It was when she had the courage to confront her not so pretty path and talk it out, when she was able to open up more to what life has to offer. In that journey Cynthia found a passion for social work and now works with elementary students, guiding them through these difficult times.On this episode of Success is Subjective, Cynthia joins Joanna to share her journey going from dealing with trauma and suicide loss, to using her experience as a drive to help other. For Cynthia being successful means making a difference and that’s exactly what she does. Listen in for Chelsea’s insight on how she manages to find such light in her struggles and the steps that’s gotten her to this point.What You Will LearnLiving in an area where college is very competitive Losing a family member during high school while also working really hard in pursuit of collegeExperiencing serious trauma while in college Transferring colleges without getting help can lead to more strugglesWhen Cynthia reached out to a college counselor and how much it helped her Talking about unhealthy relationships in college and the ways to identify signs (refer to The Red Flag Campaign). Being closely impacted by suicide. It’s important to learn the facts about suicide, and know that if you lose someone to suicide, know that you aren’t alone.  Taking time off schoolWhen college students compare themselves to others it can lead to self-deprecating thoughts, when in reality it’s uncommon for someone to graduate within four years!What does it really mean to be off-track to graduating college “on-time?” How when you finally get your degree, it doesn’t matter where all the credits came from! College isn’t going anywhere!  Returning to college post-treatment is okay! Your path doesn’t have to be pretty and perfect. Life isn’t a linear line from A to B  Connect with Joanna Lilley  Lilley ConsultingLilley Consulting on Instagram Lilley Consulting on Facebook Sponsored by: www.ParentTrainers.comEmail [email protected]