The Bold Decision That Changed Everything: Why Aligned Action Starts with Telling the Truth
There’s a moment—sometimes quiet, sometimes explosive—when everything shifts.
It’s the moment you stop doing what’s expected and start listening to what’s true.
For me, that moment came when I left a two-decade career at Google to build something of my own. I didn’t have all the answers. But I had a knowing: this life no longer fits.
That bold decision didn’t bring instant clarity. It brought something more valuable: space. And in that space, clarity arrived—bit by bit.
Leaving a known path is rarely a tidy exit. It’s messy, emotional, often private. But it’s also profoundly powerful. Because once you acknowledge what’s no longer true, you can begin again from a place of alignment.
A Is for Action (But Not the Hustle Kind)
In the POLARIS methodology I created, A stands for Action—but not the kind that burns you out. This is action that begins with acknowledgment.
You don’t need a perfect plan to begin. You need honesty.
Aligned action isn’t about performance. It’s about truth-telling. It’s what happens when you finally say:
This isn’t working anymore.
I’m outgrowing this title/role/identity.
I want something different—and I’m willing to face the unknown.
The Spiral of Change (Why We Circle Back Before We Move Forward)
Real transformation doesn’t follow a quarterly timeline. It’s not Month 1 to Month 4 with neat check-ins.
It's a spiral. A nautilus. A return.
This past April, I returned to Esalen with my sister for The Braided Way and revisited the Coming Into Your Own (CIYO) retreat I first attended in 2019. Five+ years later, I stood at the same threshold—but I wasn’t the same leader.
Growth loops us back to familiar places so we can meet them with more clarity, more capacity, more wholeness.
This is why I built the POLARIS methodology as a spiral, not a ladder. In your journey, you may need to Pause again. Let Go again. Recognize again. That’s not regression—it’s deepening.
If you feel like you’re circling back, you’re not behind. You’re becoming.
The Cost of Staying Quiet
Let’s name something real: high-achieving environments reward silence and performance. We’re praised for pushing through, staying loyal, showing up.
But what’s the cost of ignoring your own knowing?
For me, the cost was chronic stress, a flattened sense of purpose, and a growing feeling that I was living someone else’s dream.
Acknowledgment is the first step to reclaiming your life.
And here’s the truth: Most people wait too long to tell the truth.
Why?
Fear of judgment
Fear of losing status
Fear of what happens after you say it out loud
But the longer you wait, the heavier the truth becomes. Action doesn’t mean rushing—it means responding to what’s real.
The Inner Compass: How to Know When You’re Ready
You may not feel ready. But here are some signs that acknowledgment wants to surface:
You feel drained, even after rest
The voice in your head is getting louder: “This isn’t it.”
You’re succeeding on paper but shrinking on the inside
You fantasize about leaving but don’t tell anyone
These are not signs of weakness. These are signs of wisdom.
Your inner compass is working.
You Don’t Have to Burn It All Down
One of the biggest myths about action is that it has to be dramatic: quit your job, move to Bali, start a new life.
But most aligned action is small, quiet, and brave.
It’s the email you finally write.
The boundary you set with love.
The hour you block each week for your next chapter.
The name you whisper into the void: coach, therapist, friend.
Aligned action starts with a whisper: This no longer fits.
And then a question: What might fit better?
A Journal Prompt to Begin
If you're feeling the pull toward something different—but don’t know where to start—try this:
Prompt:
What bold decision have I made—or need to make—that might change everything?
What would happen if I stopped waiting and started trusting?
Write freely. No editing. Let the knowing speak.
Final Thought: You Already Know
You don’t need to read another self-help book to begin. You don’t need a coach to validate your longing (though I’d be honored to help).
You just need to listen to what’s already true—and act on it, even gently.
Because sometimes, the boldest decision isn’t leaving.
It’s acknowledging that you’re ready.
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