08/23/2026
had a conversation with a good friend a while back who told me something I probably needed to hear.
“You’re a fixer.”
The truth is, I probably already knew that somewhere deep down.
I’ve had friends joke for years that if you need something done, call me. 😂 Need a problem solved? Call Marela. Need someone to figure something out? I’m your girl.
And honestly, I’ve always taken a little pride in that.
I fix problems. I figure things out. I find solutions. If someone I care about is struggling, my brain immediately goes to, Okay, what can I do? How can I help? How do I make this better?
But then he said something that has stuck with me ever since.
“I’m starting to realize that money doesn’t motivate you.”
Which is funny because I’ve told him that plenty of times over the years. But I think he was starting to see what I meant by it.
He started pointing out all the places my energy actually goes.
My family. My relationships. My friends. My clients. People I care about. People who need help.
And yes, apparently dogs that need rescuing too. 😂
He pointed out that I will drop what I’m doing for just about anyone I love. I’ll rearrange my schedule. I’ll figure it out. I’ll take something off their plate. I’ll solve the problem.
And sometimes I’ll do all of that even when it comes at a cost to me. My time. My energy. My peace. My money.
Sometimes way more of myself than I should have given.
Then he said the part that really got me.
I do all of that for everyone else... but I don’t do it for myself.
Well. That one hit. Because he was right.
Somewhere along the way, being the person who could handle things turned into believing I should handle things. If someone I love is struggling, I want to make it easier. If they’re hurting, I want to make it better. If there’s a problem I can solve, I solve it. If I can carry some of the weight for them, I usually do.
And I know that comes from a place of love.
