The stage lights, the Instagram-worthy backdrops, the “living the dream” moments. And yes, those parts are real. But there’s another side too. One that rarely makes it to the highlight reel.
A few months, I travelled to the US to speak at two events I’d been booked for. I was ready to bring my full energy, connect with new people, and soak it all in. But the universe had other plans.
I got sick. Properly sick. The kind that knocks you flat. The one where you lose your voice entirely. I had to make the choice every day to prioritise what mattered most: my health, and the people I came to serve.
Instead of networking, I stayed in bed.
Instead of sightseeing, I lived off honey and tea.
Instead of chasing every opportunity, I chose stillness.
There was no glamorous birthday celebration like I’d dreamed of. I spent it alone in a hotel room in Denver while a party rolled on downstairs. Eating salad. Drinking tea. Watching ‘Below Deck’ rugged up under my doona. Saving every ounce of energy for the moments that truly mattered, delivering for my clients.
Sometimes, even when you’re living your purpose, it’s still work. And sometimes, it’s hard work.
You can be wildly aligned with your mission and still have days that stretch you. You can love what you do and still want to cry into your pillow. That’s not failure. That’s real life.
Coming back to Australia, I went straight into planning on the Gold Coast. No downtime. No decompression. Just the next phase of showing up. And yet, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Because this work? It matters. The impact? It’s real.
And because serving people from a place of purpose will always be worth the effort.
This isn’t about hustle culture. It’s not about pushing through at all costs. It’s about honouring your limits while standing in your commitment. Taking care of yourself so you can keep showing up for the work that calls you.
So if you’re in a season that feels harder than expected, keep going. Rest when you need to, but don’t mistake moments of struggle and hard work for failure.
Sometimes, the biggest breakthroughs come when we choose presence over perfection, purpose over performance, and value over vanity.
Even the hard parts are part of the magic.
Janine x