I'm so glad I said "hi" to her

I’m so glad I said “hi” to her

Here in Mexico City, I kept seeing this woman at my local cafe and co-working spot. And every time I saw her, we would wave and smile at one another. But we never spoke.

One notable thing about this mysterious woman was she often wore shorts, showing these burn scars all over her legs. Obviously, there was a story there. And I was intrigued. And then one day, she popped up on my TikTok feed, sharing the backstory of her burn scars.

Her name is Katya Komleva. And apparently, Katya was involved in a boiler accident in Russia (where she’s from), and she got third-degree burns all over her legs, had dozens of surgeries, lost most of her toes, spent a couple of years in hospitals, and was told by doctors that she would never walk again.
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Now, I was very intrigued. So the next time I bumped into her, I said “hi” and suggested we meet for tea.

A week later, over green tea, she told me the entire story about growing up in Russia, going to a club one night with her friends, getting caught in a freak accident involving scalding water while leaving the club, and how that experience altered the trajectory of her life.
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I was riveted and knew instantly that I wanted to have her on my podcast to share the story with you—especially the part where I asked her if she had it to do all over again, knowing the effect it would have on her life, would she?

I won’t spoil it for you, but her answer rhymes with “less.”

Another cool development from this episode is I recorded it in person—my first of hopefully many in-studio podcast episodes. And I can’t wait to do more. Just gotta convince more guests to come down to Mexico City to record.
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If you’re going through something physically or emotionally challenging right now, you’re going to be very inspired by hearing how Katya navigated the aftermath of her boiler incident, and especially what she said about her friends who refused to feel sorry for her.

This one was an instant classic. And her book, Accidental Awakening, is available on Amazon.
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After watching this one, let me know what you think of my in-person studio and the editing. Is there anything you’d like to see more of? Less of? Which part of the story stood out to you the most? Looking forward to your feedback.

Light

My passions include keynote speaking, leading meditation retreats, hosting my podcast, and writing self-help books, like Travel Light, Knowing Where to Look, Bliss More, and The Inner Gym. I’ve also got a thriving online community with fun challenges and masterclasses for becoming the best version of you. You can see more about me at lightwatkins.comor follow my journey on Instagram.