You're getting close. Closer than you've ever been to the thing you actually want. And right when it matters most, something in you start pulling the other way.

You get sick out of nowhere. You snap at the person trying to help you. You want to run, cancel, disappear, go back to how things were before you started any of this. I've done this too. 

On other days, it's not a full derailment. It’s just a voice getting louder in your head. “You can't do this. Look, it's not going to work. It's not going to happen.”

Here's what's actually happening

You're wired for survival, not for growth. Every human is. Our first instinct is to stay safe, stay comfortable, stay exactly as we are. 

But your True Self, your intuition, your soul, whatever you call it, is asking you to expand. To reach past what's familiar.

Those two forces are always going to exist at the same time as long as you're in this body, on this earth. It's not a sign something's wrong. It's not proof you shouldn't move forward. It's just what happens as part of the human condition.

Think about pulling your hand back from something hot. That's instinct, not decision. Pushing against a block feels the same way, your body reacts before your mind has a say in it.

What I learned moving to France

I wanted this life. I knew it in my bones. And still, as we sold our house, as I prepared to walk away from my job, the voices showed up. “You don't know anyone there. What if you get sick. You don't speak the language. You won't even find your comfort food (congee).”

Every single one sounded reasonable. Wise, even... But none of them were true. It was just my survival instinct, doing exactly what it's built to do: trying to keep me where it knew I can survive, in my comfort zone.

Many women pull back

I’ve seen many women give up on their dream and go back to corporate. It feels practical. It feels logical.

But statistics show that going back to work normally takes up to 12 months with up to 30% pay reduction for women. And that they have more chances of success transitioning (85% success rate) than going back.

Their survival instinct is pushing them away from the optimal path.

What to do when you hear it

Don't interpret it as doubt. Don't take it as a sign to stop. When those voices get loud, that's confirmation you're standing right at the edge of your comfort zone, about to step toward what you actually want. It's one of the clearest signs you're on the right track.

The pull to stop isn't wisdom. It's wiring. And wiring can be worked on, once you know what you're actually hearing.

I share more on this, including what this looked like the week we sold our house and moved to France, in this video: [Watch: It’s Not Safe to Dream]