When the Spark Feels Dim

Navigating the in-between spaces of exhaustion, inspiration, and self-trust

At first, it was the rest I desperately needed.

The kind of deep, full-body, nervous-system-resetting rest that only arrives when you’ve pushed too long, too hard, too far.
And for a while, it felt good.
Like melting.
Like sinking into something I hadn’t let myself feel in months.

[Photo by Karim MANJRA on Unsplash]

But then … it started to feel like too much.

The desire to create faded.
Deadlines felt distant.
And I stopped wanting to try.

My body, once stuck in overdrive, had finally found a slower rhythm.
And suddenly, that rhythm felt too slow for the world I was expected to return to.

Every email felt like a task too tall.
My brain, rewired for stillness, resisted the pace I used to call normal.
I felt guilty for not jumping back in with my usual energy.
Frustrated that my fire hadn’t returned on cue.

Maybe you’ve been there too…
Somewhere between healing and hustle.
Between needing rest and resenting how long it takes to feel like yourself again.

At it’s core, entrepreneurship is exhilarating and exhausting.

The highs are breathtaking.
A client win. A pitch that lands. A moment of clarity that slices through fog.
But the lows?
They’re lonely. Heavy. Quiet.
A delayed payment. A plan that falls flat. The creeping fear that maybe you’re not built for it after all.

You learn to hold joy and panic in the very same breath.
To celebrate a win while bracing for what’s next.
To show up smiling, even when inside, you feel like you’re unraveling.

And if you’re a parent, a caretaker, a human with feelings?
That weight doubles.

I’ve been sitting in that weight.
Fighting fog.
Wondering if I’ve lost my spark.
Watching life in shades of gray.