RC’s Key Truths for Your Life Pivot #2: Get Real About What Needs to Change
- Rebecca Contreras
- May 1
- 4 min read
Updated: May 6
“The truth will set you free—but first, it will make you uncomfortable.”
In Part 1 of this blog series, we talked about embracing change as your first major life pivot step—and how it all begins with shifting your mindset. But once your head’s in the right place, it’s time for something even more powerful:
Telling the truth about your life
Let’s be real—change can’t happen if you’re still pretending everything is fine and/or believing the status quo is ok. If your finances are a mess, your health is declining, your relationships are draining, or your goals are collecting dust, it’s time to get honest about the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
This isn’t about shame. It’s about doing regular inventory, evaluating, and taking ownership for your change or pivot.
Truth-Telling is Where the Pivot Begins
There’s a moment in every necessary change or transformation where you have to stop sugarcoating the situation. That moment is your power source.
Here’s what truth-telling looks like in real life:
Looking at your bank account and admitting your money habits aren’t working.
Owning that you’ve stayed in a toxic job or relationship too long out of feeling comfortable or fear of initiating the change of letting go.
Acknowledging that you’re overwhelmed, stuck, or lacking purpose—and you’re tired of it.
This is where I had to start too. Before I became a CEO or White House advisor to a President, I had to face some hard truths early on in my journey:
I was a high school dropout. I dropped out - no one made me do it.
I was on welfare with a baby and no clear path forward. I was born into poverty but due to being comfortable there, I was repeating the cycle all too familiar to me.
I had no professional network or roadmap—just grit and God. I had to change things to own my own development.
Later in my career as I achieved success in government and branched out to work for someone else in the private sector, the realities I came to face were present:
I was making money, but someone else was an “owner” of the business, therefore reaping most of the true rewards of my hard labor.
Although I doubted my abilities at times, I wanted more than just the status quo.
If I wanted to make true community impact, I had to be the one to write that check for the cause I wanted to make a difference for.
Living “month-to-month” wouldn’t cut it.
I did not want to be the smartest person in a room; therefore, I had to expand my room.
But that truth became my turning point. When I stopped hiding from it and started naming it, I could change it.
Three Areas to Check Yourself (And Get Honest)
Let’s break it down. If you’re ready for your pivot, start truth-telling in these key areas:
1. Your Patterns
Ask yourself:
What habits are keeping me stagnant or stuck?
What do I keep repeating that’s not serving me or my goals and purpose well?
Am I self-sabotaging or staying in comfort zones?
💡 Truth Bomb: Growth can’t happen staying in the same environment that created your pain. Something has to change.
2. Your People
Ask yourself:
Who drains me vs. who builds me?
Am I surrounded by truth-tellers or enablers?
Who challenges me to grow?
Am I in a “one way” relationship where I am always the one giving? OR is this a dual-giving relationship?
💡 Reminder: You don’t owe anyone access to your future if they’re only comfortable with your past.
3. Your Priorities
Ask yourself:
Where am I spending my time vs. where I say my values are?
Am I investing in my growth or just staying busy?
What dream have I been avoiding because it scares me to expand my dream?
Do I have the right people, process, and strategy in order to pivot?
💡 Truth Check: What you do daily is shaping your destiny. Small choices = big pivots.
Practical Ways to Start Truth-Telling Today
Here’s how to begin your honesty overhaul:
✔️ Write it down – Journal the areas in your life that feel out of alignment. No filters.
✔️ Say it out loud – Speak your truth to a mentor, coach, or trusted friend. Shame loses power when it’s voiced.
✔️ Meditate it; Cover it – Through deliberate meditation and or prayer of reflection to prepare spiritually and emotionally for the pivot.
✔️ Take one action step – Do one thing this week to close the gap between your truth and your goal.
You Can’t Fix What You Won’t Face
Let me say that again: You can’t fix what you won’t face.
Whatever your pivot looks like—changing careers, healing relationships, changing relationships, going back to school, starting a business—it starts here.
💪 Face the truth.💪 Own your choices.💪 Take bold steps forward.
And remember—your past doesn’t define you, but your honesty can transform you.
🌟 Coming in the June blog: Key Truth #3 – Building the Blueprint for Your Next Level. We’ll map out exactly how to create a strategy that aligns with your goals, values, and calling. You won’t want to miss it!
👉 Make sure you’re subscribed to get it straight to your inbox: https://www.rebeccacontreras.com/subscribe
If you missed the Key Truths #1 released in April, you can read it here: https://www.rebeccacontreras.com/post/key-truths-for-your-life-pivot-1-embracing-change
Until next time, keep showing up. Keep getting real. Your pivot is already in motion.
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