True freedom is a leap into the sudden unknown, and a journey that requires patience.
The morning I left my 9-to-5, I half expected bells to ring. A swell of music. A sense of accomplishment. Instead I got the same old conflicting argument in my head. Stemming from fear of the unknown, I deliberated internally.
"Keep it simple."
"No! Go all out."
Going all out sounds brave. Mostly it's perfectionism. And working for yourself feeds it. The less structure around you, the harder you hold on to whatever comes your way until you find your feet again.
That space? Between letting go what does not serve you anymore, and finding your feet again? That space requires patience.
I think about the time I climbed Kilimanjaro. You don't get to the top of that mountain by charging. You get there by pacing: small step, breathe, small step. The ones who sprint early had to turn around, their body not coping.
Working for myself has felt exactly the same.
The other thing nobody warns you about: your body works it out before your head does. Mine was protesting every walk to the office door long before I could admit why. I just needed time to catch up to what it already knew.
I redefined rest. The strategic pause I need to clearly see my next moves. The opposite of falling behind.
When trees drop everything for a season, nobody calls them lazy.
Change is slow, and messy, and that's normal. Whatever shows up - fear, grief, relief - let it come.
Pick one thing today that actually matters. Just one. Then block a little rest, and guard it like you would a client call.
What's your body already telling you that you haven't said out loud yet?
Go deeper: Way of the Peaceful Warrior (2006) - strength through living fully in the present.
- Alexia · Leverage Your EQ & The Whole Intelligence Approach
Know someone at the edge of their own leap? Pass this on.