Rediscovering Life: From Frustration to Passion and Purpose

Frustrated with life and caught in the daily grind of "working for the man," I found solace in weekends spent raising the boyz and leaning on the tools my country upbringing provided. Despite making it work, I was still overwhelmed by this thing called "life." One morning, with coffee in hand, I found myself parked at a wolf sanctuary, lost in thought, daydreaming for what felt like hours. Suddenly, a YouTube video started playing out of nowhere, revealing the benefits of fasting. Was it divine intervention or coincidence? It didn’t matter—I felt immense gratitude and took it as a sign to make a change.

Fueled by supplements, teas, and daily workouts (after finally uncovering my elliptical from under a heap of laundry), I began the fasting journey. Days 1-3 were rough—I practically lived in the bathroom. But by days 4-7, things started to stabilize, and I felt good. Week 2 was even better, and by weeks 3 and 4, I was on top of the world. After 5 ½ weeks, I had transformed into a lean, mean, fighting machine. None of my clothes fit anymore, and ketosis, coupled with determination, completely renewed me.

Cautiously, I reintroduced soups and solids back into my diet. Feeling rejuvenated, I made a call to visit my sister and brother-in-law in Florida. There, I indulged in some REAL home cooking. One morning, her delicious homemade granola caught my eye. I tried it, and I was hooked! It quickly became a ritual—granola in the morning, followed by a little poolside reflection, gratitude, a trip to the gym, and as many visits to Ross, TJ Maxx, and Macy's as I could fit in.

Back home weeks later, I craved her granola and decided to try the recipe she gave me. Excited, I set to work, but when I pulled it out of the oven and tasted it, it was horrible. Disgusting. A total disaster! I called her, and we agreed—it looked bad, tasted worse, and seemed like a lost cause.

But I couldn’t just throw it away. Something inside me told me to try again. I had an epiphany: start over, go back to basics, and trust my instincts. I had never baked granola before, but I figured out what made sense, step by step. What came out of the oven that day was unlike anything I—or anyone—had ever created. A scientist who worked in the granola industry even confirmed it. Doors started flying open after that, and the rest is history.

My lesson? Think outside the box. Do something random. Don’t conform to the norm. Fast, pray, ask the divine, and let passion guide you. Ignore the naysayers—they’ll always have opinions, especially those who "think they know you."

Then I thought, Why stop at granola? What about chocolate bars? I learned how to make bean-to-bar chocolate from YouTube, focusing on keeping everything super clean and natural. Our bodies want to heal, and if we feed them the right things, they will. My motto became “KEEP IT REAL” and Naturally Yours.

This is Pür Energ. It’s a Rocky Mountain Way to CLIMB your own path and define yourself. Look within, follow your passion, and never stop.

Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can or you think you can’t—you’re right.” Believe in yourself, act on it, and remember—you are the gift. Turn off the distractions, go within, and discover who you really are. Be yourself, because the world needs your colors.

We all need YOU.