Pursuit of Wellness - POWerful Moment 004: “You Have No Choice But To Change!” Ella Halikas on the Lessons of Failure

Episode Date: November 6, 2024

In this POWerful Moment from Episode #47, Ella Halikas shares a transformative moment from her journey, recounting how being let go from a job ignited her pursuit of modeling dreams. Despite struggling with confidence and facing multiple rejections, she embraced failure as a vital teacher, ultimately achieving her goal of becoming a Sports Illustrated model.  Listen or watch the full podcast here:  On Apple click here!  On Spotify click here!

Thank you guys for joining me for another powerful moment from one of my favorite episodes. This is a highlight clip to enhance your week. I hope you enjoy. What was the turning point when you decided to pursue your dreams? Like you spoke about struggling with confidence when you were younger. Like, what was the moment you were like, I'm going for it? So what's interesting is, OK, so I was working at a restaurant in Hawaii. So I was going to school out there.

I went from my sophomore year to senior when I graduated and I was working at this restaurant and I was late too many times It's a problem and I actually got let go from the job and it was at that time where I really wanted more for myself I started taking photos on the beach and my friends were like, whoa, how'd you do that with your face? You just turn something on you should be enough. Like you should do modeling. I'm like, oh, you're crazy. I can't I'm a size 14 Whatever, but when I got let go it lit fire in me it was just like what am I doing I want more and I remember saying I will come back into this restaurant of sports illustrated model and they all thought I was crazy and I left and I submitted my first video in 2018 of course I didn't

get it tried out again 2019 didn't get it flew to Miami tried I didn't get it. Tried out again in 2019, didn't get it. Flew to Miami, tried out, didn't get it. 2020 pandemic, finally got it. And it was in the magazine 2021, but I just remember when I got let go, I felt so unworthy, I felt so ashamed, I felt so embarrassed. I was like, I know I want more for myself and I know I can accomplish X, Y, and Z

and I'm just gonna go for it. And I literally, the day I got let go, I submitted my first video. I love the fact that you went back and tried so many times. That, like, to me, sums up the people who are successful are just the people who are willing to fail. And that's in my case, too. Like, I did a number of things that didn't work out to get to where I am now.

So I love the fact that you said that. Did you ever go back and show them your magazine? I definitely went back in. I didn't bring the magazine, but, like, they all knew. I am now. So I love the fact that you said that. Did you ever go back and show them your magazine? I definitely went back in. I didn't bring the magazine, but like they all know they're like, Oh my God, you've been killing it. I'm like, thank you. Thank you so much. Remember when you guys let me go. But no, we did a round of shots. We celebrated and it was, it was great. A lot of my friends had still worked there. So we went back and drink at the bar and like, it just was a full circle moment being there and being like, I did it.

Like I did it, I conquered, I did it. And now I can just share my success and stuff with my friends. But yeah, it was a really interesting moment when that happened. Because I think when you lose something or some, you learn the most in your fails, failures, and you learn the most when you are going through it.

You don't learn too much when you're winning. And I've noticed that even within myself. And so when I got fired and I got like, oh, I was at the lowest point in my life. And I think that's when like the greatness happens. Oh my gosh, took the words out of my mouth. I say that every episode. I think hitting rock bottom for me was like the best thing

that could have happened to me. Because I think so many people live life just tolerating Being average. Does that make sense? Like if things are somewhat uncomfortable like they kind of don't like their job and they're not really doing anything that they love It's like this is uncomfortable, but I'm okay with it because it's not that bad, right? But when it gets really bad those no choice, but to make change you have no choice. Yeah, I love that I know.

And you could do two things. You could either like soak in that misery and uncomfortableness and then just say, well, this is my life. Or you can choose to do everything to get out of that position. You know, and I think our failures teach us the most and I stand by that for sure. I'm the most grateful for every failure, every loss, every release from a job, everything. I honestly am more grateful for those moments. Thanks for listening to this powerful moment. If you want to hear the full episode,

click the link in the show notes. Love you guys. Bye.