The Freedom to Pivot: Letting Go of Who You Thought You Had to Be

I used to think life was black or white.

That once you made a decision, about your career, your relationships, your identity, it was permanent. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹.

There was no room for pivots. No space for second thoughts. No permission to say, “This no longer works for me.” I thought I had to stick with things just because I started them. That changing direction meant failure. That uncertainty meant weakness. That if I “𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴” once, I had to carry that version of me forever.

But life has taught me otherwise. I’ve made decisions that didn’t work out. I’ve invested in paths that drained me. I’ve said yes to things that left me burnt out, confused, and doubting myself.

For a while, I internalized that pain. I told myself maybe I just wasn’t cut out for certain things. That if it didn’t work once, it would never work. That discomfort meant I should stop trying altogether.

But here’s what I’ve come to understand:

• Just because something didn’t work out, doesn’t mean it never will.

• Just because you had one bad experience doesn’t mean the story always ends that way.

One failure doesn’t define your future. One rejection doesn’t cancel your potential. One detour doesn’t mean you’re lost. You are allowed to learn and still move forward.

You can reset. You can restart. You can refocus. As many times as you need to.

There is strength in trying again, this time with more wisdom, with new boundaries, with a clearer sense of who you are. You are not a prisoner of your past decisions. You are not obligated to stay where you’ve outgrown.

And you are not bound to one story just because it was once true.

Growth is permission. It says: You can begin again. It says: You can get it right, even if you got it wrong before.

So if something didn’t go the way you hoped, don’t let that be the end of your narrative.

This week’s reflection is for anyone who feels stuck. Anyone who’s questioning whether they’re allowed to begin again. You are. And you don’t need permission to become who you’re meant to be.

Let this be the lesson that leads you home to yourself.