My name is Saowalack P. Arnold

What if I told you I have a transformation story to share—a journey from the depths of hardship to a place of strength and purpose? I was once a victim, abandoned, growing up in the slums, selling food on the streets just to survive. I endured many forms of abuse, battled feelings of worthlessness, and struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction, a result I had to take in the past for illness.

I would never change a thing about the journey I’ve been through or the people who have been part of it. Every experience and every person has been my teacher. I found wisdom in each darkness and the light of my journey. Without these people and experiences showing up along the way, there would have been no reason to keep rising.

My life has been marked by profound healing and transformation. I have battled chronic pain and life-threatening autoimmune diseases—challenges that words cannot fully express. Yet, throughout it all, my unwavering spirit refused to surrender. From my diagnosis in 1992 until 2013, my symptoms worsened, often leaving me feeling isolated. Time and again, I was met with disheartening words: “There’s nothing we can do,” and “There is no cure for these chronic diseases.” But deep down, I rejected this as my reality. I reminded myself that fear has two meanings: “Forget Everything And Run” or “Face Everything And Rise.”

I chose to rise.

I confronted my fears, anxieties, panic attacks, seizures, and every obstacle that came my way. Each time, I told myself: “No, this is not how I want my children to tell the story of their mother when I’m gone.” I refuse to be defined by what happened to me; I am defined by the person I choose to become.

In the end, I discovered that the light is not found externally, but resides within all of us. Wisdom is like a diamond—it is born from the transformation we undergo, from darkness to clarity. It is a gift earned through our experiences and the transformation we embrace.