Blog Post 2: The Pause Was Intentional: What I’ve Learned in the Silence

May 21, 2025

There’s a difference between being silenced and choosing silence. The last few years have given me more of both than I’d ever planned for. But while the former came unexpectedly, the latter became necessary.

In a culture obsessed with constant visibility and forward motion, stepping back can look like failure. But I’ve come to learn that stillness is not weakness, it’s strategy. I pressed pause not because I lacked purpose, but because I needed to protect it.

This season of intentional withdrawal gave me the space to confront hard truths, about broken systems; about misplaced trust, and about how even strong, capable professionals can be caught in storms they didn’t create. I examined the gap between who I am and who I had to be to survive in environments that rewarded silence over substance.

I won’t pretend this journey has been easy. The quiet exposed wounds I’d buried under duty and decorum. But it also helped me reclaim clarity. I remembered why I entered public service in the first place. I reconnected with the parts of me that weren’t contingent on a title, paycheck, or public approval.

And, most importantly, I learned that healing isn’t passive. It’s an act of defiance. Taking time to recover, reflect, and realign isn’t quitting. It’s preparation.

The pause was intentional. And, now, so is the return.