What happens when life — or your body — slows you down before you’re ready? In this episode, I reflect on the subtle but powerful difference between a forced slowdown and a chosen one, and why so many people experienced 2025 as an unexpected inward-turning year. This wasn’t always loud or obvious. For many, it showed up as exhaustion that couldn’t be pushed through, old wounds resurfacing in new ways, or a quiet sense that the strategies that once worked no longer did. I share personal reflections from a past season of deep internal change, how those quieter years often prepare us for what comes next, and why clarity doesn’t always arrive through urgency or action. This episode isn’t about fixing yourself or pushing harder. It’s about listening, integrating, and recognizing that some seasons are meant to soften us — not stall us. If you’ve been feeling slower than expected, less motivated than usual, or unsure how to move forward without forcing it, this conversation is an invitation to pause and ask a different question. You don’t need to be taken out to be allowed to rest.Sometimes softness is the most honest way forward.