A Reflection on Pace, Pressure, and the Mid-Career Bloom
This week, I was asked to read an article and provide a summary for peers and leaders. I did what I always do: I bodied the assignment.
But afterward, something lingered.
I realized—at 37, soon to be 38 (Leos roar 🦁)—I am now mid-career.
It’s the kind of milestone you don’t prepare for, but you feel. Suddenly, there’s a new type of awareness. A shift in stakes. A deeper invitation to think about ownership. Not just of homes—but of time, legacy, energy, and identity.
A quick conversation with my mom made this clearer. She reminded me to begin thinking long-term, and while homeownership isn’t on my immediate radar, her point landed: Are you owning your life—or just occupying it?
Cue the old voice—the default. Softer now, but still lurking.
“That’s why you can’t stop. You took your foot off the gas last year. You missed out. You failed the SHRM exam. You’re not ready to lead.”
And for a moment, I almost let that voice sweep me into the chaos of misaligned timing.
But grace.
God’s timing isn’t chaotic—it’s curated.
I’m learning that divine timing is not just about what comes to pass, but when it arrives and how I’m invited to receive it. I have enough faith to believe that if I move at the speed of God, I’m never behind. I will not miss what’s mine. Resting is not retreat—it’s realignment.
So last night, I rested.
I started feeling physically off yesterday morning. Normally I’d push through—gym, journal, podcast—but I didn’t. I chose bed. I chose a book. I chose Upstream (a recommendation from a mentor) and allowed my mind to explore how proactive thinking might shape the rest of my career and personal life.
I’ve been blessed to live in three American cities:
✨ Savannah, GA
✨ Charleston, SC
✨ Tucson, AZ
Would I have had that opportunity if I had followed tradition—picked one job, stayed in one lane, climbed one ladder?
Maybe I’d have taken more vacations. Maybe I wouldn’t have had to start over (again and again). Maybe I wouldn’t have missed watching my niece transition from girl to young woman, or the in-person evolution of the mother-daughter bond with the woman I call friend—but who insists on being known simply as “Mom.”
But I wouldn’t trade it.
Not the lessons.
Not the start-overs.
Not the stillness.
Because the bloom—this soft, sacred bloom—was worth it.
I don’t know what the next chapter of my career will look like—not exactly.
But I know I’m building it in real time, on purpose, and with peace.
And that’s enough for today.
Still becoming. Still blooming. Still grateful.
🦋
🧭 Continue the Journey
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