Sometimes, the biggest breakthroughs begin with a breaking.

Late last year, while my family and I were fast asleep, someone broke into our home. We were robbed and all our gadgets, jewelry, hard-earned money, and sentimental items were taken. Even my work laptop and backup phones, tools I heavily relied on were gone.

Yes, including my eyeglasses. (I still chuckle at that one.)

I was left shaken.
I couldn’t sleep for a month.
The trauma lingered.

And for someone who has built her life working from home, managing digital files, and running a business remotely… losing everything felt like losing the work I had poured my heart into for years.

Dear Kuya Magnanakaw,
If you ever read this, know that I’m no longer angry.
Yes, you took a lot.
Yes, you disrupted our peace and security.
But you know what else?
You reminded me of what truly matters.
You didn’t hurt us. We’re safe. My child is safe.
And for that, I am genuinely thankful.
And despite losing so much including nearly all my digital work, God replaced it all. And more.
Much better.
Much bigger.
Much more aligned with where I’m truly meant to be.

Before the break-in, I was on sabbatical. Burned out after years of working non-stop, running my own business, helping my husband start his, and being a full-time mom.
I had planned to rest indefinitely.
But that incident? It forced me out of complacency.
With everything taken, I had no choice but to rebuild from scratch.

I reorganized my files.
Rebuilt my portfolio.
Refined my templates.
Updated my tools.
Upskilled.
Reskilled.
And to my surprise, I grew.

I found out that I wasn’t done yet, my skills had more room to bloom.
My mindset had more space to expand.

I was okay with my old setup. Comfortable, even. But after everything, I realized:
There’s always more room to grow.
There’s always a better way to work.
There’s always a higher version of ourselves waiting to be discovered.

Now, I…
Set boundaries with clients.
Say no to toxic work environments.
Sleep a full 8 hours.
Take vacations when I want.
Decline unnecessary meetings.
Work only during the hours I choose.
Never compromise my time with my son again.

Anything that robs me of peace, presence, or time with my child is a “NO.” And that’s okay.

From what stolen, came purpose.

I didn’t plan to start this project.
I didn’t know marietam.com was in me.
But maybe… God did.
And maybe, just maybe, it had to happen this way.
Because sometimes, we don’t move until we’re shaken.
Sometimes, we don’t rise until something breaks us open.

To anyone going through a hard season… I know how it feels when life doesn’t go as planned. When you lose things you worked hard for.
When fear creeps in.
When the weight of everything makes you wonder if you can rise again.

You can.
There is hope.
There is healing.
There is purpose waiting on the other side of your detour.