Your Growth Doesn't Dishonor Your Past

Hang on to your hats, I have a bee in my bonnet.

During one of my recent keynote Q&As, a woman asked “I want to change my career, but I feel guilty. Like I might let people down. What should I do?”

Outside, I was nodding along.

Inside, I was screaming, “Come. The F*ck. On.”

As if we were put on this planet to never grow…

As if we were put on this planet to never learn…

As if we were put on this planet to never change…

No. Nope. Absolutely not.

Let me tell you something: You weren’t born to play a role in someone else’s story. You were built to be the star of your own.

And this guilt? It shows up in all kinds of forms.

Like the woman, a healthcare professional, whose patients say they “can’t live without her.” That’s beautiful. It’s meaningful. But also? It’s kind of manipulative, even if they don’t mean it that way.

Or the woman I met years ago, who became a chef after sitting by her dying mother’s bedside, binge-watching Food Network together to ease the pain. Cooking became her purpose. And she become a chef to honor her mother. But then her purpose changed. And she felt trapped by her mother’s memory, stuck in a life that no longer fit.

Here’s what I told both of them: Your growth doesn’t dishonor your past. It completes it.

We are meant to evolve. That’s not betrayal. That’s the assignment.

And if people can’t handle your evolution because they were more comfortable when you were smaller? That’s their work to do. Not yours.

Because staying in a version of yourself that no longer fits doesn’t serve anyone.

Not your clients.

Not your community.

Not your mother.

Not your memory of your mother.

Not you.

So if you are sitting in this space, feeling guilty, heartsick, and stuck, allow me to give you your permission slip.

This is not betrayal.

It’s growth.

It’s being alive.

You are allowed to want something new.

You are allowed to become someone else.

You are allowed to change. Full stop.

Let’s f*cking go.

Because here's what I know to be true: Reinvention isn't about abandoning who you are; it's about embracing who you can be.

P.S. After I answered her question, three other women grabbed the mic and echoed the same sentiment: that her growth doesn’t stop serving some, it actually allows her to serve even more, that she is allowed to grow and change, and that her modeling of this helped everyone else in the room re-examine their own ever evolving purpose. It was quite possibly the most beautiful demonstration of #framily that I’ve yet seen at a conference, and I feel so lucky to have witnessed it.

How to embrace reinvention in your life:

1. Own Your Experience – You’ve done more than you give yourself credit for. Look at your past through the lens of value: What have you built? What have you overcome? What unique skills do you bring to the table? Use that as fuel.
2. Bet on Yourself – If you’re waiting for the ‘perfect time’ to make a change, you’ll be waiting forever. Take the leap before you feel 100% ready—because confidence isn’t what gets you started; action is.
3. Reframe the Story – The things you think might hold you back? They’re often the very things that set you apart.
4. Lean Into Growth – Reinvention is uncomfortable. It should be. If you feel like you’re in over your head, that’s a sign you’re exactly where you need to be. Keep going.

Knowing you can change is one thing. Actually doing it? That’s another.

If you’re ready to stop second-guessing, stop waiting for the “right time,” and finally build a life that actually feels like yours, I’ve got you.

This November, anyone who joins my Limitless Course will also get a signed copy of my book Limitless—a reminder that you don’t need permission to grow, evolve, or redefine success on your own terms.

This is your invitation to go from stuck to soaring—to find your calling, connect your work to what matters, and finally feel in control of your success (and your happiness).

Don't just take my word for it. Here's what Tameka Fryer Brown, Award-Winning Children's Book Author had to say after taking the Limitless Course: