What If You’re Closer Than You Think?

There are moments in life when the path ahead feels anything but clear. 

It’s like walking—or driving—through fog. You know, deep down, you're heading in the right direction… but you can't quite see the path forward. 

Should I turn here? Keep going? Am I even on the right road?

I've been there numerous times. Divorce. Downsizing—not once, or twice, but three times. A cancer diagnosis. Each of those circumstances—those forks in the road of an extraordinarily average life—brought its version of fear, uncertainty, and yes, fog.

And yet, I kept going. 

Not because I had all the answers, but because I made a choice. I picked up my red marker and circled a date on the calendar, and in that action, I declared it was time to put myself first—my needs, my growth, my life.

This post isn’t a checklist or a how-to. It’s a reminder that perspective—how you choose to see your situation—changes everything.

One of my favorite metaphors captures this beautifully:

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.”

We often overlook how painful transformation can be. I imagine that little caterpillar, exhausted from crawling, begins to build its coffin (i.e., little chrysalis), all the while thinking, “This is it. I’m done.” But then? It wakes up having completely evolved into something new. Wings where there were none. Vision where there was once only instinct. Beauty and lightness after so much heaviness.

That story isn’t fiction. It’s biology. It’s true.

And it’s also your reminder: transformation feels like the end… until it’s not.

When you’re in the fog—starting over, grieving, aging, pivoting—it's tempting to believe you’ve missed your moment. The opportunity passed you by. That it's too late.

But if you've ever caught yourself thinking:

• "I’m too far down this path to make a change."
• "I should have started sooner."
  
• "It’s too late for me."
  
  

Let me gently offer a few reminders of others who knew, deep down, there was more for them to do, accomplish, and experience in life:

• Melissa McCarthy landed her breakout role at 41.
  
• Kathy Bates was 43 when Misery made her a household name.
  
• Ray Kroc didn’t buy his first burger joint (yes, that McDonald’s) until he was 59.
  
• Jamie Lee Curtis won her first Oscar at 64.
  
• Gladys Burrill ran her first marathon at 86.
  
  

What do they all have in common? They chose not to let age, timing, or setbacks dictate what was possible. They kept going.

So can you.

Whether life threw a storm your way or you chose to pivot in a bold direction, what matters most is what happens next. You don’t need to have it all figured out to move forward. Sometimes all you need is to believe you’ll fly—even if it feels like you’re still crawling.

The fog will lift. 

The path will reveal itself. 

And one day, you’ll look back and see exactly how far you’ve traveled—and how strong you’ve become.

If you're in a season where things feel uncertain, you're not alone. And you don’t have to navigate it alone, either.

The choice is yours.

You’ve made it this far. Let’s see where your wings can take you next. 🦋

To learn about High Performance Coaching and how we might work together—check out all the details here.

 And if you’d like to hear this message with even more heart (and a sweet birthday shoutout to my little brother), you can tune into the full podcast episode here:
🎧 Listen to Episode 23: Ever Feel Like Giving Up? Discover the Power of Choosing Yourself