E49: Life is so short – Honoring Gabriela Gonzalez

A Conversation I Never Wanted to Have

This episode is different from anything I’ve ever recorded. I sat down at my mic with tears in my eyes and a heaviness in my chest that I couldn’t shake. Gabriela Gonzalez — one of my mentees, a bright and fierce young Latina — passed away, and I knew I had to talk about it. Not because it was easy, but because staying silent felt like a disservice to everything she stood for.

In this episode, I get raw about what loss has taught me. I talk about the moments we take for granted, the conversations we keep postponing, and the dreams we shelve because we think we have more time. I share the last conversation Gabriela and I had, where she told me about her plans for the future — plans that were so vivid and full of hope that they still echo in my mind. She reminded me that our time here is not guaranteed, and every single day is a gift we need to unwrap fully.

Seize What’s Yours

I also open up about my own struggles with urgency — how sometimes even I fall into the trap of “I’ll do it tomorrow.” This episode is my promise to live differently, and my invitation to you to do the same. Whether it’s starting that business, healing a relationship, or simply telling yourself that you are worthy of your own dreams — do it now. Don’t wait for a wake-up call. Let Gabriela’s story be the gentle push you needed today.