Your Story Isn’t Over – It’s Just Getting Interesting
Every woman I know who has weathered storms in male-dominated industries carries a moment—the moment she thought it was over.
The dream.
The career.
The version of herself that had it all figured out.
Maybe it was after a layoff.
Or a betrayal.
Or the day you realized that no matter how hard you worked, the system wasn’t built to see you.
Whatever form it took, that moment left you breathless.
The old story ended—and you didn’t yet know what the next one would be.
But here’s what I’ve learned:
When it feels like the end, it’s often the turning point.
Your story isn’t over.
It’s just getting interesting.
The Lie of “Happily Ever After”
When we start our careers, we’re sold a story:
Work hard. Be loyal. Earn your place. Stay the course.
But the truth is, life doesn’t unfold in a straight line.
There’s no perfect arc—only chapters. Some beautiful. Some brutal.
Each one teaching you something essential about who you are and what you’re made of.
The challenge is that no one prepares you for the plot twists.
They don’t tell you what to do when the dream job ends.
When the company changes.
When your identity cracks open and you no longer recognize the woman staring back in the mirror.
But here’s the thing:
Those moments of unraveling are not the end of the story—they’re the rewrites that make it richer.
The In-Between Chapter
This is the part no one glamorizes—the middle of the story, where everything feels uncertain.
You’ve outgrown the old version of yourself, but the new one hasn’t fully arrived yet.
It’s tempting to rush through this stage. To fill the silence. To rebuild something—anything—just so you feel in control again.
But the in-between is sacred ground.
It’s where you rediscover your own voice.
It’s where clarity starts to form.
It’s where you realize that maybe, just maybe, this detour is actually the main road.
The Reframe: The Best Chapters Come After the Plot Twist
Every good story gets interesting when things fall apart.
That’s where growth happens. That’s where character is revealed.
When everything goes according to plan, you learn competence.
When nothing goes according to plan, you learn resilience.
The very moments that feel like endings are often the ones that position you for expansion—professionally, personally, spiritually.
Maybe the door closed so you’d stop shrinking yourself to fit inside it.
Maybe the loss made space for something that finally aligns.
Maybe the uncertainty is the invitation to write the story your way this time.
The Shift
You’ve spent years trying to make the story neat—predictable, respectable, linear.
But neat stories don’t inspire anyone.
It’s the messy ones—the ones with twists and cliffhangers and comebacks—that change lives.
And maybe this is the chapter where you finally stop performing resilience and start living it.
Maybe this is where you turn the page and realize you were never lost—you were just being rewritten.
Your story isn’t over.
It’s just getting interesting.
Ask yourself:
What chapter am I in right now—and what might it be preparing me for?
Where am I still trying to go back to a story that’s already finished?
What would it look like to embrace this next chapter instead of resisting it?
If you’re standing between chapters—grieving what’s ended but not yet seeing what’s next—you’re exactly where the next part begins.
Download your free guide: Breaking the Cycle: 7 Hidden Signs It’s Time to Level Up—and Lead
Or, if you’re ready to start writing your next chapter with intention: Schedule a call with me today to map out what comes next.
Beyond the cockpit. Beyond the comfort zone. Beyond the flight deck.
Your story isn’t over.
It’s just getting interesting.
And maybe this time, you get to be the author.
Until next week,
Dana