I hadn’t written or posted for months. At my first networking event after the big pause, several people asked me with curiosity, “Where have you been?” I tried to smile and crack a joke: “Making lemonade… tons of it”, I said.
The truth is, life had other plans for me meanwhile. A serious illness, followed by the loss of my mother, came shortly after my own recovery from a severe injury. These experiences shifted everything — my pace, my priorities, my whole way of being. They reminded me, in the most personal way, that sometimes we have no choice but to stop and focus on what truly matters.
When life grounds us like that, it strips away the unnecessary and brings out our essence — who we truly are, what we value, how we make decisions, how we fight, and who and what keeps us standing when things fall apart.
These moments leave deep marks. Some are invisible — hidden behind a polite smile — but others quietly shape our professional path, our relationships, our sense of purpose.
As a career coach, I often meet people whose CVs show “gaps” that are anything but empty. Behind those periods are human stories — of care, recovery, loss, or simply the need to pause and rethink what comes next. And yet, as a society, we often treat these pauses as something to hide or feel guilty about, as if stepping away makes us less worthy or committed.
The truth is quite the opposite. None of us are immune to moments when personal life must come first. And those moments don’t diminish us as professionals — they deepen us. They make us more understanding, more grounded, and ultimately, more authentic.
In a world that celebrates constant achievement and visibility, it’s easy to forget that resilience and character are often built quietly, behind the scenes, when no one is watching.
I’m now slowly returning to my work — and to writing , I hope with a renewed sense of awareness, warmth, and more humanity.
If you’ve also been through a season like this — one that’s made you pause, reflect, or completely redefine your direction — you’re not alone. Sometimes, that pause isn’t the end of the story. It’s the beginning of a new, more authentic chapter.
If you feel it’s time to reconnect with your own path, I’d be honored to walk beside you as you do.
👉 Let’s talk