There are certain voices that find you exactly when you need them most—and for me, that voice was Brianna Wiest. Her book The Pivot Year didn’t just land in my hands; it arrived in my life like a whisper I didn’t know I was waiting for. It became a compass when I felt directionless and a quiet companion as I stood—once again—on the edge of a life that was asking me to be brave.

As I move into 2025, a year I’ve quietly promised myself would be about deep transformation, honesty, and choosing with intention, I keep returning to her words. The Pivot Year doesn’t just speak about change. It speaks about becoming. It holds space for the messy middle—the discomfort, the quiet grief of letting go, and the soft, unexpected breakthroughs that shape who we’re becoming.

I’ve pivoted before—more than once. The first time was when I left a corporate job that had consumed me. Long hours, constant travel, and the creeping sense that I was missing my children’s lives. One morning I woke up and thought, I don’t want to just hear about their childhood—I want to be there for it. It was terrifying. I was walking away from financial stability and a title I had worked so hard for. But something deeper, quieter—my intuition—said, go. And so I did.

The second pivot was choosing to go back to school to pursue my master’s and doctorate. It was a massive commitment—of time, money, and energy—and yet, I felt a pull I couldn’t ignore. Something in me knew that growth was waiting on the other side of that leap.

Most recently, I chose to step back from another successful role to make space for something tender and sacred: becoming a grandmother. My daughter’s journey into motherhood called something forward in me, too. I knew I wanted to be present—not just available. So I made another brave choice: I scaled back to part-time, allowing me to continue the work I love in private practice while also embracing this new season of family life.

What I’m learning is this: pivoting isn’t about abandoning who you were. It’s about expanding into who you’re becoming. That idea—held gently yet fiercely in the pages of The Pivot Year—has given me courage. It reminds me that we can do hard things, that choosing ourselves and our people isn’t selfish—it’s sacred.

If you find yourself in a season of change—or even just standing at the quiet threshold of it—I hope you’ll explore Brianna Wiest’s work. You might find the reflection you didn’t know you were seeking… and the strength that’s been waiting patiently inside you all along.