02/18/2026
I’m driving to Florida to see my family. Guilt-free.
Four years ago, that might not have been possible.
In February 2022, I took two personal days for an annual family trip.
My principal signed off on my request.
Then he heard I’d traveled and confronted me: “You should have asked my permission.”
Even though he’d approved it….
I was so angry I couldn’t breathe.
The message underneath:
You don’t get to have fun or enjoy rest when the students and teachers need you. Your worth is tied to being available.
And even with approval (so I thought), I couldn’t actually leave my work behind.
I spent that entire trip responding to emails. Making myself available. Proving I was worthy of time off.
I was physically in Florida, but my nervous system was still at work.
That was the first family trip after moving back to the U.S. and the last one with my cousin. He passed away before we got there the next year.
I’d spent that precious time half-present. Guilty. Unable to let go.
I already knew I was resigning. But that moment justified everything.
Fast forward to now.
No guilt. I make the rules about my time. I can actually be where I am.
Not because I set better boundaries.
That shift happened because I addressed the pattern underneath:
My nervous system couldn’t transition from work to personal life. Even with permission. Even on vacation.
In last Tuesday’s workshop, The Leader Within, we explored this pattern.
Person after person said: “This is exactly me.”
We moved through a somatic practice together that helped people see these patterns clearly, many for the first time.
The replay from the free workshop is available through Feb 27th.
If this pattern feels familiar, DM me for the link. 💫
What would become possible if you could actually be where you are?
