Despite challenges, she doesn’t plan to give up
Shauna Saunders enjoys working as a paralegal at ExxonMobil.
“When the housing market went under, when the economy went to hell, my husband’s hours were cut and I was pregnant. We went into foreclosure, and we could have lost our home. Instead, we were able to work with the bank and find a way to keep it.
“During that whole process, I went back to school when the baby was old enough to be left with someone. That had always been my plan. But I remember confiding in a friend that we could lose our house. She said, ‘What are you doing back at school? You need to get a job. You need to go to work.’
“When I told my husband he said, ‘It’s always been your dream to finish college. I can’t let you go to work right now. We’ll figure it out.’
“Looking back on it all, I realize that the universe was challenging me. It was saying, ‘Is this what you really want?’
“When we hit another difficult financial time while I was attending school, I approached a counselor, and he said something that has stuck with me. It was along the lines of, ‘In order to prove to the universe what you really want, you have to overcome the challenges before it’s handed to you.’
“Not too long after that, I read a book called ‘The Alchemist.’ The entire theory of the book, basically, is that you’re going to be challenged. You might start out with a little bit of beginner’s luck. But to reach your goals, to achieve your dreams, you’re going to face a multitude of different challenges. And don’t give up because, in the end, it will all be worth it. I think that’s pretty good advice for life.”
— Shona Saunders
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