The Power of One Change: How I Reclaimed My Life in the Middle of Chaos

Daily writing prompt

Describe one positive change you have made in your life.

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There’s a moment in every woman’s life when she realizes: no one is coming to save her. No fairy godmother, no emotional support barista, no perfectly-timed vacation to Bali. Just you, your mess, and a choice:

Will you wait for peace? Or will you build it yourself?

Mine came after the kind of news that punches a hole in your reality. My husband, Derek, was diagnosed with Stage 3 kidney cancer—and there I was, already grappling with my own disability from a brain injury, trying to remember what day it was, let alone how to be the rock for someone else.

I was exhausted. But I was also done.

The One Positive Change That Sparked My Real Glow-Up

I made a choice that changed everything:
I stopped waiting for “when things calm down.”

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That version of me—the one I thought I’d become once life got easier—was holding me hostage. I was always “almost ready.” Almost healed. Almost thriving. Almost glowing.

Until I realized: life doesn’t calm down—it just changes costumes. And mine was in full disaster couture.

So I stopped trying to control the storm and started creating a sanctuary inside it.

What Empowered Living Actually Looks Like (Hint: It’s Not a Pinterest Board)

You know what counts as a glow-up when you’re chronically exhausted?

• Getting out of bed and choosing yourself before the world starts pulling.
• Making your skincare routine feel like a ritual, not a chore.
• Starting a blog—this blog—as a rebellion against invisibility.
• Launching V’Empower not because I had it all figured out, but because I knew others were quietly drowning, too.

Empowered living isn’t perfect hair and productivity apps. It’s reclaiming your voice when you barely feel human.

It’s saying, “Yes, I’m struggling—and I’m still here. Still rising. Still glowing, dammit.”

Overcoming Adversity When You’re Already at Capacity

Here’s the raw truth no one tells you:

If you wait until you’re fully healed, you’ll never start.
If you wait until you’re not tired, you’ll never speak up.
If you wait until life feels fair, you’ll never feel worthy.

My lifestyle transformation didn’t come with glitter and grace. It came in fragments—tiny rituals, fierce boundaries, unapologetic self-preservation. It looked like:

• Saying no without guilt.
• Celebrating tiny wins, like remembering my own passwords (don’t laugh, it’s real).
• Creating systems that hold me on the days my brain doesn’t.

It was messy. It was glorious. It was mine.

The Ripple Effect: When One Change Becomes a Movement

That one shift—choosing to live now—birthed an entire new era of my life.

🌀 I built Voguegenics into more than a blog. It became a destination for women who don’t want to shrink or sugarcoat their stories.

🌀 I created the Cancer Warrior Journal Bundle, because I know what it feels like to hold someone through the unthinkable and still need a place for your own grief.

🌀 I launched The Gen V Podcast, where we talk glow-ups that go deeper than face masks—because reinvention isn’t always aesthetic. Sometimes, it’s survival made stylish.

🌀 I turned my vulnerability into visibility—and turned that into a community. Real women. Real stories. Real power.

So, What’s Your One Change?

Not five. Not ten. Just one.

Maybe it’s putting your phone down at night.
Maybe it’s switching from “What’s wrong with me?” to “What do I need right now?”
Maybe it’s finally believing you deserve to be witnessed, not just helpful.

You don’t have to leap. You just have to shift. Tiny. Quiet. Defiant. Powerful.

Want to Start Your Glow-Up Journey?

✨ Browse the tools I’ve created while clawing my way back to the light:

• 💥 The Cancer Warrior Journal Bundle
• 🌀 The V’Empower Coaching Hub
• 📝 The Voguegenics Method: A 30-Day Glow-Up for Mind, Body & Style
• 🎙️ Gen V Podcast – Real Talk for Women Who’ve Lived a Little
• 🔗 Follow me on X & Instagram @voguegenics

This is more than a blog post. This is a reckoning.
One change. One decision. One woman deciding not to wait for peace—but to build it.

And if you’ve read this far, you’re probably one of us.
You’re welcome here.

Dorey Duncan Scott Senior Litigation Paralegal

Hi! I’m Dorey Duncan Scott, a mother of three, wife and fashion entrepreneur. I started my career in fashion back in the early 90’s when I did print, still and runway modeling. I studied Fashion Merchandising, Music Business and Marketing, while also obtaining certificates in such industry-necessary areas such as make-up, styling and runway choreography. In addition, I had work as a spokesmodel for several brands, appearing in print and in person. As a former model, turned senior litigation paralegal, artist manager and on-air personality with a passion for fashion, beauty, and personal development, I bring a unique combination of style, strategic thinking, and legal expertise to my work. My years navigating the legal world have sharpened my attention to detail, while my experience and passion for fashion, beauty, and personal development drives my desire to help others feel empowered and help them in their journey toward self-empowerment. My experience in the fashion world has taught me the power of confidence. 

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