My Birthday Gift of an Instant Revelation

I’ve lived with self-doubt for as long as I can remember. It’s been one of my deepest patterns to work through – the quiet, constant questioning of whether I’m enough, doing enough, being enough. It’s part of my journey to heal it. And maybe that’s why what happened next felt so extraordinary – because in that moment, the self-doubt was simply… gone.

And maybe that’s why this moment still fascinates me. How can someone who knows the weight of self-doubt so intimately make a decision this radical, this clear, without hesitation? It’s a question I think others might ask too – and one I’ve asked myself.

The day before my birthday, something clicked. Or maybe it snapped. I was really angry about something small – the kind of thing that shouldn’t matter, but it was the drop that made the glass overflow. In that moment I thought: this is enough. It was an ego-click, sure, but it was also my whole system saying: now it stops.

I managed to get a meeting with the CEO on very short notice – which was unusual, and it felt as if something in the timing itself was working in my favor. I had no idea what I was going to say. I just knew I needed to be in that room. That night I went to bed still without a plan.

The next morning, my birthday, the sun was shining. I was still technically sick, had been for a while, but I felt light and excited. I knew it was going to be a good day. At the office, the energy was buzzing. People congratulated me, there was warmth everywhere. And then, of course, my mind started doubting. Why am I doing this? Why have this meeting with no plan? Was I just overreacting yesterday?

When the meeting started, I still had nothing prepared. I decided to begin with a question: “Have you thought about how you want to use me and my role going forward?” The CEO paused and said, “You know what? I’ve thought about it, but I can’t come up with anything tangible – and it bothers me, because I think you’re very good at what you do.”

And then it happened. Instant Revelation. It was as if a straight line shot through me – grounded, steady, undeniable. Like a lightning strike without the burn, just pure, clean clarity flooding my system. There was no rush, no wobble, no weighing of options – and for once, no self-doubt. None. Just the pure inner truth that it was time to move on, to make space for other adventures. Adventures that, as it turned out, would become the most important two years of my life. My body answered before my mind could interfere. I simply said, “Alright. Then I think we should end this here.”

We were leaving on a high – the relationship was good, there was mutual respect – but we were done. And that’s okay. Especially in change work, there comes a point when your part of the change is complete, and it’s time for other changes to take the stage. In that moment, I took an important step in my journey to reclaim my self-worth and life force energy.

The CEO was surprised. “Are you sure you want to do this on your birthday?”

“Yes. I want to give myself the gift of honesty and transparency today.”

We talked briefly about the next steps, and I walked out of the room feeling like I was flying. Complete freedom. The whole world suddenly open with possibilities – and no, I had no plan, no certainty about what came next. I just knew this had to happen for the next thing to be born.

Sometimes, we can’t see what’s ahead until we let go of what’s behind. That day, fear no longer had permission to decide what was possible for me.

Shift Section: The next evolution often begins with a leap you can’t explain on paper. What decision in your life would set you free if you stopped waiting for a plan and trusted the moment?

Let’s unlock the next evolution together.
Louise