When life hands you six curveballs (a story of resilience)
Have you ever seen those "top life stressors" lists? A few years back, I found myself living through six of the top twelve—all at once.
I was thriving then, or so I thought. Leading teams, driving change, working long hours because it felt meaningful. My calendar was full, my impact was clear, and my path seemed certain.
Then life decided to write a different story.
In rapid succession came the beautiful chaos of new babies, the heart-wrenching losses of beloved little ones, a big unexpected health challenge, marriage, a 500 mile move, and finally, a job loss that shook my professional identity to its core. It was a masterclass in resilience I never asked to take.
I remember riding in a car, en route to facilitate a seminar, when a well-meaning acquaintance said something that still echoes: "I knew someone this happened to... she was never the same. It was like something just broke inside her."
Those words landed like a punch. Not because they weren't true—I definitely wouldn't be the same. But because they missed the point entirely.
Sometimes life hands us multiple chapters at once. In this season of reflection, as we navigate a world that feels increasingly uncertain, I'm reminded that our greatest setbacks often contain the seeds of our most meaningful comebacks. That’s when I started reading about the Japanese art of kintsugi–golden joinery–that I shared in a recent post.
I chose not to be someone who lost herself. Instead, I became someone who found a deeper well of strength, a more grounded sense of purpose, and surprisingly, a clearer vision of leadership than I'd ever had before.
That journey became the foundation of the Comeback Leadership Series, where we help leaders transform their setbacks into launchpads for extraordinary growth. Not by pushing harder or doing more, but by rediscovering their innate resilience and reconnecting with what matters most.
As we close this year, I invite you to reflect:
What if your current challenges aren't breaking points, but turning points?
What if this moment of uncertainty is actually preparing you for your greatest contribution?
What if your setback is setting you up for an extraordinary comeback?
