My Journey: From Chaos to Clarity

Amira Davis
Jun 17, 2025
5 min read

Updated: Jul 14, 2025

High school graduate at 17. Pregnant at 18. Baby at 19. Married at 20. Then, another baby in 1995. College? Yeah, squeezed that in while working full-time and raising babies. Career? Built one in sales and marketing while figuring out who I was. And through all of it, I never really stopped to ask what I needed.

Back to the Beginning

I graduated high school in 1991. I met Sam in ’92, and we were off and running. It was a whirlwind, can't-get-enough-of-each-other kind of love. That "we just know" type of connection defied logic. We had no money, no plan, and no maturity, but we had each other. (Cue the emotional slow pan.)

Our first baby arrived in ’93. We got married in ’94 and had another in ’95. We put ourselves through college full-time while both working full-time. Because sure, why not add impossible to an already overloaded schedule?

We also made some very solid financial decisions, like racking up student loan debt we’ll probably still be paying from the nursing home. While some people backpacked through Europe in their 20s, we filled out FAFSA forms with a toddler on each hip. It was chaos. It was beautiful. It was hard.

The Unseen Weight

Sam lost both his parents young. His mom passed when he was around four. His dad died when he was about twelve or thirteen. He carried that trauma in his bones, even when he didn’t know it.

I was the oldest of three in a strict household. My parents did their best, but I had a front-row seat to "eldest daughter syndrome." We brought our grief, pressure, and survival instincts into our marriage. Almost didn’t make it several times. But somehow, we kept choosing each other.

Sam always says his parents sent me to him. I usually respond with, "Well, I hope they had a return policy." But deep down, I know it’s true. Our connection doesn’t always make sense on paper, but it’s carried us through everything.

We’re not perfect, far from it. Yet, our bond has held through financial strain, marital breakdowns, parenting curveballs, and countless late-night "What are we doing?" conversations.

Burnout in a Blazer

As Sam built a career in law enforcement, rising to one of the highest positions in our region, I ground it out in sales and marketing for over two decades. From the outside, I looked like I had it together. But inside? I was falling apart.

My health was breaking down. I’ve survived cancer—twice. I dealt with work colleagues who could’ve starred in a reality TV show called "Overconfident, Underqualified, and Always Clutching a Clipboard." And hormonally? Let’s just say I now recognize that was the beginning of perimenopause. My journey with Lyme disease? That’s a story for another time.

The Exit Plan (Also Known as: D5 Consulting)

D5 Training Group logo

Right around the time things were blowing up for me mentally, physically, and emotionally, Sam and I made an impulsive decision to start a business. That business became our escape hatch: D5 Consulting Group. We ran it part-time while I was still deep in a toxic work environment that looked good on paper but drained the life out of me.

Eventually, my body sent me a message my mind ignored. I had surgery—the kind that stops everything. It wasn’t easy, but it was a much-needed reset. For the first time in years, I could breathe. And in that space, I started to heal, both physically and emotionally.

Then came the unforgettable moment when my inner voice said, "You don’t have to go back." And I didn’t. I walked away from the job, the stress, and the version of me I barely recognized anymore. I was miserable. That toxicity affected me in ways I didn’t fully see until I had space to think clearly again.

I know they wouldn’t want me back because I left in a blaze of glory. If someone mentioned my name in that building today, there might be an awkward silence or a quick subject change. Let’s just say I didn’t exactly slip quietly out the side door.

Funny enough, the office manager once said the building had always felt heavy, even before I started there. Rumor has it, it still felt that way after I left. Maybe she should take that as her cue for some soul-searching of her own.

Meanwhile, I’ve been running D5 full-time ever since. We’re thriving beyond what I ever imagined. To my old employer: no hard feelings, but no, I don’t miss it.

But I Still Needed Something for Me

D5 was something we built together, and I’m proud of that. But about 6 to 8 months ago, I felt another stirring inside me. I longed for a space for real conversations, real women, and less performative strong woman energy. Thus, I started AmiraEvolved.

It’s where I share the authentic parts of my story: the uncomfortable middle, the healing, the boundaries, and the mindset shifts. It's designed for women who’ve led everything—families, careers, healing—and now want to lead themselves with clarity and softness.

What The Shifted Self Is Really About

I created The Shifted Self Journal out of a need for a space to think clearly and reconnect without over-explaining. I wanted something honest, direct, and truly useful. Most of what I found didn’t reflect my experiences. I didn’t want cute prompts or fluffy questions. I sought a tool that helped me slow down and reframe how I showed up for myself.

That’s what The Shifted Self is. It’s for women in that in-between space—not quite who they used to be, not yet who they’re becoming. It’s for those trying to find clarity after years of doing everything.

I wrote it for us—those who’ve done everything for everyone and are finally ready to include ourselves in the equation. If you find yourself in a similar position, ready for a reset that's purposeful, The Shifted Self is your starting point.