Oxidized by Life, Reduced by Growth
February 3, 2025
Writer: Victoria Pescod
Editor: Tyler Peterson
In chemistry, there is a stage in a redox reaction, where atoms gain or lose electrons. Oxidation occurs when electrons are lost, while reduction happens when electrons are gained. Like atoms, humans are constantly undergoing change. Just as atoms have an external force driving their transformation, we too have forces shaping our lives—I like to call this destiny, the unseen hand guiding us through wins and losses.
Major life changes—like moving to a new country, starting college, or switching careers—can bring growth, improvement, and love. However, these experiences can also steep our confusion, anxiety, and loneliness fogging our vision-making us forget the person we once were
Sometimes, our sense of belonging fades so completely that it feels like we are electrons in endless oxidation—losing piece after piece of ourselves. And when there's nothing left, it feels like all we can lose is ourselves.
Last year I found myself in a career crisis. I battled with the idea that what I thought I loved didn't give me the same satisfaction it once did. I was surrounded by shadows that filled my brain with doubt and fear. I felt unhappy and confused. I set an idea and an expectation in my mind, and realizing I had completely romanticized this idea was devastating. I lost my way—my smile, my shine, myself.
One of the first things I learned was to not be afraid to ask for help. Dismantling the idea that there is a certain image I must portray to the world. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but a message that you want to have all the equipment possible to be the best version of yourself. I learned life is not always about following a script, but about embracing change. Life is not about repressing feelings of sadness and pain, but about taking them in and listening to ourselves. Because life will not always be black and white, there is a grey area that we are set to find.
The journey of life isn´t linear, it's everything but. However, the way we overcome the obstacles in our path is what will make all the difference.
Little by little, I finally began to see myself as an atom undergoing reduction. Just as in nature, under the wrong conditions, leaves drift from trees, petals fall from flowers, daylight fades, moonlight dims, metal corrodes, and tides recede. Yet with the right care, leaves return, flowers bloom, the sun shines, the moon glows, metal gleams and the ocean's waves rise and fall once more.
No matter how lost you feel, you can always find yourself again—in the things you love, in the people who care, and in the quiet moments where hope begins to grow again.
