Break the Pattern of Living for Who You Were

Some moments don’t just knock on the door—they fling it wide and ask who you’re willing to become. I share how an unexpected path—from classroom to 18-wheeler to the podcast mic—taught me to treat disruption as an invitation to alignment, innovation, and a life that actually fits. This isn’t a highlight reel. It’s the real process of carrying your core values into new spaces, mapping meaning onto unfamiliar roads, and turning detours into directions.

We start by reframing disruption: not as punishment, but as a sacred summons to a truer version of you. I walk through the shift from chasing success to following alignment, and how “making the road my classroom” kept my identity intact while everything else changed. You’ll hear the family adventures, the safety instincts honed in small towns, and the unexpected joys of learning in motion—plus the moment I stopped asking for permission and started listening for purpose.

Then we break down the traits of an innovative life. Innovation as novelty: the most original work you’ll ever do is the next version of yourself. Innovation as value: your story is a living message, and someone needs it. Innovation as creative problem solving: momentum beats paralysis, especially in crisis. And innovation as implementation and process: consistent, imperfect action turns invitations into impact. Along the way, we name the power of sisterhood—women who refuse isolation and choose to build in public with love, hope, and vision.

If you’re standing at a threshold, this is your nudge to show up fully—gift in hand, heart open, ready to receive what’s been prepared for you. Progress, not perfection, is the way forward. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs courage today, and leave a review with the one bold “yes” you’re claiming this week.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome & Big Idea
• 0:39 When Life Disrupts Your Plan
• 1:55 From Teacher to Trucker to Host
• 2:41 Making the Road a Classroom
• 3:43 Family Adventures & Safe Exploring
• 4:55 Challenging Old Expectations
• 5:55 Alignment Over Approval
• 6:40 Defining an Innovative Life
• 7:24 Your Story Has Value
• 8:23 Creative Problem Solving in Crisis
• 9:31 Implement, Don’t Hesitate
• 10:18 Process, Sisterhood, and Belonging

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:04

You're listening to One Degree to Victory, the space where stories, strategies, and soul connect. Together we take one small step each week toward the life you know you're called to live. I'm your hostess, Nelita Holland, and today's story and conversation just might change your life. Disruptors are thought to be those who break the mold. They are society's innovators. But when life is the disruptor, it feels like everything we've built, all the order, all the comfort, all the predictable patterns just stops working. Over the past couple of years, I've learned that when life is the disruptor, it's not punishment. It's an invitation to a journey, an opportunity to explore your future and the gift of the dawning of a significantly improved version of you. I had to innovate afterlife disruptions, from school teacher to truck driver to podcaster, and what a journey it's been. But I would not be here if I hadn't accepted the invitation to walk the journey to discover what I didn't know I had. Now, some of you may not think that going from a teacher to a truck driver to a podcaster sounds like the path of a successful life. And honestly, I didn't think so either. The truth is, I didn't take these steps because I was chasing success. The universe, better yet, God, was leading me down a path of alignment. And in that, and it was in that alignment that I learned what real innovation looks like. Not inventing something new, rather, it was the uncovering, the expansion, a new iteration of being for this season and perhaps the seasons to come. When I left education, I didn't just start driving overnight. Education was what I knew. It was my safety net, my rhythm, my identity. So I asked myself, how can I carry that passion with me on the road? How do I stay true to who I am, even in this new space? After a few days of sitting with those questions, it hit me. I could make the road my classroom. And so I started journaling the towns I passed through, mapping out my roots, and learning something new about every place I went. My husband was a natural explorer, so it became a shared adventure in the beginning. And it's through those summers with him I learned how to safely explore small towns, back roads, and hidden gyms, immersing myself in a little local culture everywhere I found myself traversing alone. Now, don't get me wrong, there were definitely some places I looked around and thought, maybe not here. You learn to trust your instincts and to walk in wisdom. But even in those moments, I was still learning about people, about perception, about presence. Whenever my kids were with me, I made sure the journey became their classroom too. So we took self-guided tours around Duke University, we walked the hills of Kentucky, we played in the cornfields of Indiana, and even found joy in the snowstorms of New Mexico with plastic bags tied around their feet for makeshift snow boots. We strolled through Punta Gorda, Florida, explored other new cities, and made memories that no textbook could have ever taught them. No one could have imagined that version of me. The woman behind the wheel, driving 18 wheels of discovery. And truth be told, driving was my occupation of choice long before teaching ever was. When I was younger, though, my father shut that dream down, steering me toward a more sensible and respectable profession for a young lady. His exact words, get a degree like your mama. So for years, all anyone knew was educator Nalita. And even when I was a teenager working as a classroom assistant, my life seemed destined to revolve around education. Now, what I've come to understand is that alignment doesn't follow our plan. It requires us to release what's familiar, release our hurts and our anger, shift the perspective of our past so that we can meet the version of ourselves waiting on the other side of change. Now, every step, constant listener, from the classroom to the cab to the podcast mic has been a lesson in innovation, faith, and freedom. I learned that innovation isn't just about creating something new, it's about creating meaning where you are. And if you stay open long enough, even the detours can become divine directions. I'm going to share with you what I found to be the characteristics of an innovative life. Innovation is novelty, and novelty is the original. It is unlike anything seen before. And what could be more novel than a version of you no one ever imagined possible? Not even you. If you lead an innovative life, you should never, ever say, I'm bored. Innovation is value. Your story of triumph and victory. The story of your journey happening right now is valuable. I know because one story changed the trajectory of my life. And right now, there is one person who will literally find life in your story. Now you don't need to run out and share your story with everyone you meet. The Bible says we are living epistles read. That means we walk the walk. Our actions speak for us. So if you find yourself in the middle of their change, you ought to be living for where you're going. Innovation is creative problem solving. You are here because you have triumphed over 100% of life's setbacks. Twenty years ago, constant listener, I was sneaking into the dorm after dark with my baby in my arms. Hotels had become too expensive, and going back home to an abusive husband wasn't an option. Was sneaking into the dorm rooms the best solution for temporary shelter? Maybe not. Was it creative? Absolutely. Sometimes we have to bend the rules. Sometimes we have to ask later. Either way, don't sit on the problem. That's when fear festers. And the longer you sit in your paralysis, usually the worst the problem gets. Innovation also requires implementation. Podcasting wasn't on my dream horizon. It's a decision to accept the invitation that led me here. I was reluctant at first, but now I'm fired up. I'm dedicated to growing and scaling, and above all, sharing my stories and strategies so that you'll know whatever you're facing is possible to overcome. And finally, innovation requires process. This is the journey. Sister Girl, you're part of this tribe because our journeys as women, mothers, wives, and sisters, we are those who've loved and lost, lived and lamented. We have found ourselves in an uncommon place together. And so as we process who we've been and who we're becoming, we draw strength from you, the unity that we are not alone. It is this journey that binds us. As I wrap up, let me ask you this. When you receive an invite, what's your response? Do you simply RSVP with a casual yes and then fail to show up when the moment of celebration arrives? Perhaps you attend half-heartedly just going through the motions. Or, or listen to this constant listener. This is what I hope for you. That you show up fully present, boldly stepping into the space, gift in hand, full of enthusiasm and excitement, ready to participate and take home all the door prizes. Sister Girl Life is extending you a personal invitation to show up. Not partially, not tentatively, but fully and boldly with every fiber of your being. You aren't merely attending this celebration, though. You are the centerpiece. You are the honored guest. You are the precious gift awaiting discovery. This moment, this opportunity for transformation, this space where your authentic self can finally emerge and shine. This is your celebration. The universe has been preparing this moment specifically for you, sister girl, setting the stage where your gifts can be revealed and celebrated in their fullness. You've already proven your strength. Now it's time to live your transformation. Welcome to your next chapter. Welcome to your innovation. One degree to victory is about progression, not perfection. And that involves choosing a life that works for you now in this season and building from there. And Sister Girl, it's going to take more than loving yourself. It's going to take vision for where you're going, hope to believe it's possible, action to make it real, and love for your family to feel every step. Take one degree forward this week. And I'll see you in the next episode.