Smack Dab in the Middle of a Real-Life Stopping Point
The universe is a funny thing. It often presents a life situation that’s unanticipated but strangely aligned with something significant unfolding in your life at the very same moment. That has certainly been true for me most recently. And when it appeared, it was like a locked gate blocking the way forward.
After more than a year of writing my forthcoming book, Breakthrough Brilliance, I submitted the manuscript to my publisher on November 17th. At midnight, I drove my husband to the ER. He was unable to get up from the couch on his own.
What followed was a cascade no one plans for: hospitalization, rehab, assisted living, unanswered questions, and a complete disruption of what had once felt “normal.” The past two months have been filled with medical appointments, new routines, unfamiliar environments, and constant recalibration—emotionally, physically, and mentally.
Everything came to a screeching halt.
As I’ve tried to regain my footing, I’ve caught myself shaking my head and thinking: Isn’t it fascinating that this is happening while I’m finishing a book about transforming stopping points into turning points? So instead of resisting that irony, I decided to embrace it.
Here are ten “Ah-Ha’s” that often show up when life drops you smack dab in the middle of a stopping point—and what they can teach you.
The Ten Aha’s of Stopping Points
- Everything is changing—fast.
Stopping points rarely unfold gently. They arrive with speed and intensity, forcing rapid adjustment before you feel ready. - The unexpected becomes the norm.
Plans dissolve. Assumptions evaporate. Flexibility becomes more valuable than certainty. - Control is limited—or nonexistent.
This is often the most unsettling realization. You can influence very little, even when the stakes feel enormous. - There is no plan…yet.
The absence of a roadmap can feel paralyzing, but it also creates space for new clarity to emerge. - Emotions run high and wide.
Stress, sadness, fear, exhaustion—even guilt—surface without invitation. A stopping point is as emotional as it is logistical. - You will try to regain control.
This is human nature. You grasp to find order, answers, and certainty—even when none are immediately available. - Surrender becomes necessary.
Not resignation, but acceptance. Surrender is the moment you stop fighting reality and start working withit. - Hidden reserves reveal themselves.
Strength, patience, discernment, and resilience rise from places you didn’t know existed. - Growth is unavoidable.
Even though you wouldn’t choose the circumstance, transformation quietly begins to take root. - You will be okay.
Not unchanged. Not untouched. But steadier, wiser, and more capable than before.
From Stopping Point to Turning Point
In Breakthrough Brilliance, I describe progress as a three-step shift comprised of Clarity, Focus, and Momentum.
Stopping points demand clarity first—you must activate the ability to see what is, not what you wish were happening. From there, focus narrows your attention to what truly matters now, not everything that once did. Only then can momentum return—not as a burst of speed, but as steady, meaningful forward motion.
A stopping point doesn’t signal failure. It signals transition.
A Breakthrough Reflection
If you’re in the middle of your own stopping point, know this: you are not behind, broken, or off course. You are in a pivotal moment—one that can become a turning point with intention, patience, and self-compassion.
Clarity will come. Focus will follow. Momentum will return.
And when it does, you won’t simply move forward. You’ll move forward differently, with deeper strength and greater purpose.
This is the lifeblood of breakthroughs—stopping points dissolve and turning points rise. My book is delayed but it will be published. And I’ll have more captivating content to share with you including the new yet unknown turning point that is currently unfolding in my life in real time.
