Failure. It’s a word most of us fear—something we avoid at all costs, a sign that we’ve somehow fallen short. But what if failure isn’t the end of the road? What if it’s actually the door to something greater?

In today’s world, success is often measured by external achievements—climbing the career ladder, earning accolades, and sticking to the path we once envisioned for ourselves. But sometimes, the very thing we see as a devastating setback is actually the moment of clarity we need to step into our true calling.

That’s exactly what happened to Tammy Hurst, a nurse who found herself at a breaking point, emotionally drained and profoundly disillusioned with the healthcare system she once believed in.

When Everything Falls Apart

Tammy spent years working in an environment where "the physician is always right" was the unspoken rule. She witnessed abuse ignored, patient inequities brushed aside, and a culture that prioritized efficiency over empathy, profit over patient care. She entered nursing with a heart for healing, but over time, the system eroded her passion, leaving her questioning whether she could continue.

She reached a point where she couldn’t look past the misalignment between her values and the reality of her job. Burnout wasn’t just creeping in—it was consuming her.

And so, she made the terrifying decision to walk away.

For most, leaving a long-established career feels like failure. It’s easy to wonder: What if I never find another path? What if this was the wrong decision? What if I regret it?

But in Tammy’s case, what felt like a loss became the beginning of something extraordinary.

Rebuilding from Rock Bottom

In our conversation on It’s Your Story to Tell, Tammy shared how she discovered nurse coaching—a holistic approach that allowed her to integrate self-discovery, emotional well-being, and true patient advocacy into her work.

She realized that her burnout wasn’t a sign that she had chosen the wrong career—it was a sign that the system she was working in was broken.

Instead of abandoning her passion for healing, Tammy found a new way to do it. Through coaching, she helps patients in ways that honor their whole person—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—while also protecting her own well-being. No longer shackled by a system that drained her, she is now empowered to make a real impact.

And here’s the beautiful part: her failure wasn’t really failure at all. It was a necessary breaking point that led her to a career she loves.

Radical Acceptance: Sitting with the Discomfort of "Failure"

The first step to transforming a setback into an opportunity is radical acceptance.

This doesn’t mean you have to love your situation or pretend it doesn’t hurt. It means acknowledging:

✔️ This is where I am right now.
✔️ I don’t have to have all the answers today.
✔️ I will allow myself to be present with this, rather than avoiding or numbing it.

The truth is, your nervous system will try to protect you by avoiding the pain of failure. It will activate survival responses—fight, flight, freeze, or fawn—to keep you from facing the discomfort of misalignment.

That’s why it’s critical to use tools that help regulate your nervous system before jumping into problem-solving. Otherwise, you’ll be operating from fear rather than clarity.

A Breathing Exercise to Reset Your Nervous System

Try this 4-7-8 Breathing Technique to help you stay present and grounded:

1️⃣ Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds
2️⃣ Hold your breath for 7 seconds
3️⃣ Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds
4️⃣ Repeat for at least 4 cycles

This technique slows your heart rate, signals safety to your body, and helps you stay calm enough to approach your situation with curiosity instead of panic.

Get Curious: A Journaling Practice to Investigate Your Setback

Once you’ve regulated your nervous system, it’s time to get curious about your situation.

When we feel like we’ve failed, we tend to spiral into self-judgment and shame. Instead of looking at what’s actually happening, we get trapped in emotional reactivity.

Journaling from an investigative perspective allows you to look at your situation with less emotional charge. Ask yourself:

🔎 What about this situation feels like failure to me?
 🔎 What parts of this situation feel out of alignment with my values?
 🔎 Where do I feel stuck, and what am I avoiding looking at?
 🔎 If I saw this as a lesson instead of a failure, what would it be teaching me?

Write your responses without judgment. The goal isn’t to “fix” anything yet—it’s just to observe.

Challenge Your Perspective: Reframing Failure into a Lesson

Now, take a step back and challenge your initial perspective. Look at your answers and ask:

🔄 Is this really a failure, or is it simply something that didn’t go the way I expected?
🔄 If I were giving advice to a friend in my situation, what would I say?
🔄 What’s one small shift I can make to move forward from here?

The goal isn’t toxic positivity—it’s not about pretending things are great when they aren’t. Instead, it’s about recognizing that this moment does not define you.

Decide How You Want to Move Forward

Once you’ve calmed your nervous system, investigated your situation with curiosity, and challenged your perspective, you can make a conscious choice:

✅ What is one step I can take today to move forward?
 ✅ What support do I need in this process?
 ✅ How can I honor myself as I navigate this transition?

Tammy’s story shows that failure is often the turning point to something greater. But it’s not enough to just “wait for things to get better.”

You have to choose to see the lesson. You have to choose to move forward. You have to choose to take the next step—even if you don’t know exactly where it will lead.

What If This Is Your Launching Pad?

Tammy’s story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the thing we see as our biggest loss is actually our greatest redirection.

We’re taught to push through exhaustion, to hold onto things that no longer serve us, to fear uncertainty. But what if stepping away from something that isn’t aligned with your values isn’t failure—but freedom?

What if burnout is an invitation to reevaluate, to realign, to choose a new way forward?

What if the thing you see as a dead-end is actually your launching pad?

Failure has a way of refining us. It strips away what isn’t working and forces us to confront what we truly want. It can be painful. It can be disorienting. But it can also be the catalyst for a life far greater than we imagined.

Tammy’s story is proof that your greatest opportunity might come disguised as a setback. The question is: Will you have the courage to embrace it?

👉 Listen to our full conversation with Tammy Hurst on It’s Your Story to Tell and hear how she turned her burnout into a mission-driven career that truly makes a difference.