When I was in elementary school, I used to ride my bike down to the town pond to swim in the summers. One day, my friend Michelle and I were splashing around and throwing a pink and purple Koosh Ball back and forth. One throw didn’t get caught and the Koosh sank to the murky pond floor. We searched and searched, and eventually gave up hope.

Fast-forward to high school, and I’m in my lifeguard training course when the instructor tells us we get a special opportunity to learn to scuba dive. Where? The town pond. Can you guess what’s coming? That’s right! In the 5 minutes I was diving, I found my old pink and purple (and now paler and slightly green) Koosh.

I compare this story to my life. When I was little, I was playful and vibrant. But then I got lost. And then I was given an opportunity, a second chance, and I found myself again (just a slightly faded version).

There’s a lesson in this somewhere. The colorful, fun, youthful version of you is still inside of you somewhere. Don’t give up hope. You just may need to take a deep dive to allow yourself to resurface