We recently connected with Kia Billinger and have shared our conversation below.
Kia, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from a combination of things that I’ve learned over the years. Watching how resilient my parents are, taught me how to be the same way. God and lots of prayer are how I get through so many tough times. I always joke about how my strength ran out years ago, but to be transparent, the only strength I’m running on now is the strength from God. Life will always throw you a curve ball, and at times you may feel like an entire mountain is sitting on your chest. I realized years ago that I needed to make a choice about how I wanted to live my life. I decided to keep going and to choose to be happy. I turned my pain (and there’s A LOT of it) into purpose, my sadness into joy, my fear into faith, and always know that with God, I can do ALL things.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Most people online know me as a Model and Content Creator. What so many people don’t know is, I’m also a Registered Nurse. I currently work in the field of Aesthetic Dermatology. Prior to this, I was working as an Emergency Medicine nurse. I have several recent debilitating injuries preventing me from working as an ER nurse, and that cause working in any capacity, and just my regular activities of daily living (ADL’s) a huge struggle.
I’ve been thinking of ways to expand my brand in the field of nursing, since I’m still young and the physical aspects of nursing are so demanding on my body. I want to start my own business! The business I would like to start requires a Physician to be on board in the State of California. That is as detailed as I’m gonna go for now, so I don’t give too much away. So stay tuned…
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
If I can only choose three, I would have to say, Emotional Intelligence, Resilience, and Faith. My advice to those on any journey is, to find your “Why” and hold on to it to get you through. When things get tough, you can either give up (sometimes it’s necessary, I get it) or you can keep going, but BOTH hurt.
What challenges are you facing right now?
The challenge I’m facing right now is, where I think I should be in life versus where I am right now. I get caught up in, by this point in my life this or that should have already taken place, or by this age I should be… I know life doesn’t work the way we envision, and that can be frustrating. I have to keep reminding myself that I’m EXACTLY where I’m meant to be.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiabillinger
Image Credits
Natalie Alvarado Lesley Pedraza
