The Quiet Ache We Don’t Talk About

It doesn’t show up like a crisis.
It doesn’t make headlines or collapse your calendar.

The quiet ache slips in under the surface.
A pause before a meeting where you brace instead of breathe.
A smile that feels practiced.
A project you said yes to while silently wondering where the space for you has gone.

On paper, everything looks right. The title. The trust. The results.
But underneath it all? Something whispers: This isn’t it. Not like this. Not anymore.

Most women in leadership know this feeling, even if we don’t name it. We’ve been taught to push through, stay polished, and call it professionalism. But the ache isn’t a personal weakness—it’s the byproduct of leading inside systems that were never built for our wholeness.

Here’s the truth: the ache isn’t here to break you. It’s here to wake you up.

It’s your body reminding you that performance isn’t the same as presence.
That you were never meant to lead in pieces.
That leadership doesn’t have to cost you yourself.

The ache is not a malfunction. It’s wisdom.
And when you listen to it—you start to remember who you are beneath the performance.