When a Notebook Becomes a Turning Point

By Sarah Daly | Business Consultant & Executive Coach
Reading Time: 4 minutes

It was a quiet Sunday morning. The light was golden, pouring through the windows with that particular stillness that makes you pause. I was journaling in my new notebook, one I’d been using for the past month, and as I closed it, I felt something stir inside me.

This wasn’t just any notebook. It had been placed on my chair at a Gestalt workshop, a thoughtful gesture among many. But something about this one was different. On the cover was a beautiful illustration of a woman walking into the sea, and on the back, she’s wrapped in a towel, stepping back into the world.

That image? It stopped me in my tracks the moment I saw it. It was me. Not in the literal sense, but emotionally, symbolically. It struck a chord deep within me, something familiar, yet forgotten. It made me feel both exposed and held. Seen. It reminded me of parts of myself I hadn’t let surface in a long time.

The Silent Invitation

Over the years, like many business owners and senior leaders I work with, I’ve become very skilled at keeping things moving. At holding it all together. At staying in motion, even when I haven’t had time to check in with how I really feel.

This notebook was something else. It wasn’t just a writing tool, it became an invitation. A quiet whisper saying: Feel. Write. Reconnect. A sign that it was safe, even necessary, to pause.

Coaching Doesn’t Always Start with Strategy

Often, we think the catalyst for growth will be big: a merger, a crisis, a resignation. But in truth, some of the most powerful turning points come softly. They come in moments of silence. In a question you’re finally ready to ask. Or in a notebook with an image that speaks your truth.

This is how many of my clients begin our work together. They’ve built successful businesses or careers. But something isn’t sitting right. There’s an internal question forming. They’re no longer content to move forward by default.

Whether they’re ready to Step Up into a new growth phase, or Step Out to transition, sell, or reimagine everything, they need clarity that goes deeper than numbers or plans. They need emotional permission to choose what’s right for them.

That’s what I help unlock.

Use it when you feel stuck, conflicted, or simply ready for something more aligned.

To Pam, thank you. Your seemingly small gift created a ripple that reached deeply into my life.

To the reader, what small signs have shown up for you lately? What might they be gently pointing you toward?

Would you like help interpreting those signs and turning insight into action?
Let’s talk about where you are, what you need, and how you want to feel.

📩 [Book a free clarity call] – add the book a call button here.

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