Making mistakes is a very human thing, even if some of them are quite a bit bigger than others. However, most of the time, the moral of these stories is not about how someone messed up but rather about how they learned and improved.
A great example of someone truly learning their lesson and making the most out of it is this one single mother who recently went viral online. Around 13 years after her incarceration, she managed to pass her bar exam on the first try, becoming not only a great lawyer but also an inspiration to a lot of people worldwide. Scroll down to read the full story!
More info: TikTok
There are a lot of good come-back stories out there, but not many people manage to go from being incarcerated to becoming a great single parent and a lawyer
Image credits: afrika.owes
Afrika Owes was sentenced to jail when she was just 17 after pleading guilty to several felony charges
The 30-year-old Afrika Owes likely never planned for her life to turn out like it did. But the future is nothing if not unpredictable.
As time went by, things happened and mistakes were made, some of which led to the woman pleading guilty to several felony charges and ending up in jail at just 17 years old in 2011. Fortunately, most mistakes don't necessarily have to mean the end of our road.
Image credits: afrika.owes
Image credits: afrika.owes
After getting out 6 months later, she swore to turn her life around, and in the following years, she became a mom, finished school, graduated from college, and got into law school
Despite spending only 6 months in the Rikers correctional facility, Afrika had an experience that she never ever wanted to repeat again. She became highly motivated to stand up and turn her life around, even making a bet with her correctional officer that she would never return to that place again and would have 5 degrees by the time she was 30.
While her promises might've been a little too ambitious at the time, her current achievements are no less impressive. A short while after regaining her freedom, Afrika became a mom to a beautiful boy, and she returned to school, graduated from college, and got into law school.
Image credits: afrika.owes
Image credits: afrika.owes
The woman managed to pass one of the most difficult bar exams on her first try, and she became an exemplary lawyer
And yet, she once again managed to prove that she's got a lot more in her when, earlier this year, the woman passed her bar exam on her very first try. The video of her and her brother's reactions at the moment of truth went viral almost immediately, reaching nearly 3.5 million views and over 800,000 likes.
Thousands of commenters came in to deliver their congratulations, sharing their amazement over how she managed to do it in New York, which has one of the most difficult bar exams in the country.
Following that, the newly graduated lawyer was invited back to where her journey started at Rikers Island. "I was overcome with emotion," Afrika told Good Morning America. "Just even walking the hallways, I remember when I was an inmate, I had to walk along inside the line. So I felt, like, naturally inclined to walk in the line, but I didn't have to."
Image credits: afrika.owes
Image credits: afrika.owes
She later returned to the correction facility where she was incarcerated to share her experience with other inmates in the hope of inspiring them to make a change
For the woman, returning to this jail did not bring out the most positive memories, but it was a worthwhile experience nonetheless. "I'd been through something very traumatic, and then I came back in a much more powerful situation, and it felt like I healed a lot."
But her main mission in returning to this place wasn't about her. Afrika came back to Rikers aiming to spread some much-needed hope for the other inmates, sharing her life experience and hopefully inspiring them to follow in her footsteps. "Life isn't just linear. There's ups and downs, there's circles in it, and as long as you continue to choose hope, as long as you continue to believe in yourself and dream big, you can accomplish anything that you want to or close to it," the woman summarized perfectly.
Image credits: New York City Department of Correction (Facebook)
Image credits: New York City Department of Correction (Facebook)
Check out the full video:
Stories like Afrika's are always pleasant to encounter. But at the same time, these situations always have quite a few lessons to them, too. So, to take a closer look and dig a little deeper into all of this, Bored Panda reached out to a certified life coach, Vanessa Marie, who was happy to share her expertise.
The expert began by sharing that, in her practice, she has observed many people who, similarly to the hero of our story, started trying to change their lives once they hit, or were close to, what appeared to be their rock bottom. She accredited this occurrence to a cognitive distortion that is often referred to as 'normalcy bias.'
"This bias makes us feel as if we have unlimited time and that our current state will continue indefinitely, leading us to delay necessary changes. It's only when we face the harsh reality of rock bottom that this distortion is shattered," explained the life coach, adding how the urgency of the situation provides us a very strong motivation, making it clear that the transformation is necessary and that it must happen as soon as possible.
Image credits: Pixabay / Pexels.com (not the actual photo)
However, turning one's life around doesn't happen overnight. At least not completely. Even if you already feel like you're walking on a new path, to truly leave the old one behind, you must first face your past, as this part of the journey is essential for healing, understanding yourself, and getting a sense of your progress.
Vanessa explained that one of the best ways to do it is through sharing your journey with others, just like Afrika did. "This act of openness reinforces your own progress and creates a sense of connection that strengthens both your transformation and the impact you have on others."
Image credits: afrika.owes
Life coach Vanessa Marie said that turning your life around is rarely easy and requires starting with small steps, but ultimately, it all begins with believing in yourself
Seeing or hearing a story like this can definitely make you realize that turning your life around is absolutely possible. But while it's clear that no one who wants to do something like this is truly happy with where they are, it also doesn't mean that you necessarily have to hit rock bottom to be able to do it.
"Transformation starts with the decision to take action and is reinforced by celebrating small victories along the way. This gives you the confidence needed to keep going," shared the life coach, adding that it all begins with believing that this change is possible, followed by exploring your past, surrounding yourself with supportive people, setting yourself manageable goals that you can raise as you move forward, and seeking professional help if needed.
And yet, arguably, the most important part of this process is building up your resilience to be able to bounce back and keep going even if things are not as easy as you'd like. "It's not just about getting through difficult times, but [it is] also about gaining the strength to face future challenges confidently," summarized Vanessa.
Image credits: Tirachard Kumtanom / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Ultimately, Afrika's journey is a perfect come-back story that likely brought a smile and perhaps even some happy tears to everyone that it reached. And yet, it's also a great example of how changing your life is absolutely possible.
Everyone makes mistakes, and many of us want to change something about our lives. But time doesn't stop and wait for the right moment. So why not start now? All you really need is to believe in yourself.
What did you think about this story? Have you ever experienced anything similar? Share it all in the comments section!
The commenters were very impressed by Afrika's achievement as the congratulating messages flew in from all over the internet
