To be or not to be

Hey there! I'm Teliah Swint. Its pronounced (Tuh-Lay-Uh) (Like Princess Laya)

There are soooo many things that I could tell you about what and who I am but in short I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a former US Marine (now a service disabled veteran), a life coach, an entrepreneur, a DIY wedding designer, an artist, a lyricist/signer/song writer, author, a jewelry maker, a home maker, a stylist, and so much more!

I wear many hats and here's why.

I served in the Marine Corps for 10 years (OORAH!!) and I transitioned to the Civilian Division (otherwise know to us military folks as the CivDiv) in October of 2020 -- during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. I went from BEING an active duty United States Marine to JUST barely BEING  able to breathe like everyone else..  

When transitioning out of the military there are a few career paths that are "expected" and catered to: going to school, working a job, or starting a business. All of which are perfectly reasonable to assume that any self respecting adult might choose. But little did the Marine Corps know that they were letting loose the next Da Vinci! I didn't want to "be" anything. I wanted to rest and explore myself and get to know what I like. I wanted to rest after running for 10 years straight. I wanted to stop for a minute and just breathe. I needed a minute to catch my breathe.

So naturally when I got out-- I lost my mind. For so many reasons, I was tired, worn down, and broken. I didn't belong anywhere in the CivDiv. I refused to work a job because I need to be in control of my time, I refused to go to school because I couldn't justify expending the extra mental energy when I was already stressed beyond my capacity, and  was WORKING my business not WORKING ON my business so, I felt trapped. Not to mention I was learning how to be human again.

In 2 years I had a baby, my family moved in to help with the baby while I worked, I got promoted, the COVID-19 pandemic started, I got out of the military, bought a house, put my ex-husband in jail for domestic abuse, DIY'd a wedding, got re-married and so much more. All while suffering immensely from PTSD, depression, severe anxiety and paranoia, hallucinations, bi-polar disorder, battered woman syndrome... man-- sciatica, back pain, neck pain, migraines, and the list goes on and on. But I took it like a champ. I just kept fighting and fighting and fighting until one day... I decided that I had had enough pain. 

And then one day, sometime between December 2-12, 2022 after reading "You are a badass at making money" by Jen Sincero a light came on in me. Something powerful took over and compelled me to change myself right then and there. I remembered that I could still vibrate. I still had the ability to vibrate my energy so hard that I could fly out of the darkness. And I did it. Just like that -- I decided that I was going to be -- 100% authentically myself and see where it took me. 

 Every moment that I breathe, I am choosing to do so. I realized that I can live by choice. It took me some time but I learned a secret... I didn't need to "work" at anything anymore, I needed to rest and do things that made myself happy and comfortable. So I did. I embraced myself, my hobbies, my interests, and here I am. I had spent a lifetime serving others at the sacrifice of getting to know myself and this time, it was my turn. I still serve others but I choose myself first now.

I discovered during my sabbatical that I'm actually really good at a lot of things! I haven't mastered any one thing yet but I'm exploring myself and imma just keep enjoying throwing my Suga Honey Iced Tea at the wall and seeing what sticks! This is where I'll share myself with the world! Y'all deserve it! Oh and also-- you're welcome for my service lol!

Look man, I tapped out of the struggle. I simply quit struggling--mentally, physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually. I decided to stop fighting my past, present, and future and decided that I was going to just do -- WTF ever I could and wanted to do. I still love to work hard and smart but more than than anything I love working happy. Today I am choosing to do only what I enjoy. Speak only things that I love to say. I do only what I love to do. And I choose to be happy.

I choose To Be - Me. 

I am Teliah Swint.