My big turning point was learning about ADHD. I had a very chaotic life, being expelled from school, getting into lots of trouble with the law, in and out of work, etc... I didn't 'fit' into the system and didn't know why. Once I came to understand myself (and learning that I was not alone in my differences) I was able to start making some changes. Now I have a decent career, a wonderful family, and I'm in the middle of a PhD. The PhD is on the subject of ADHD, and my research shows that my story is actually quite a common one - with many people who were undiagnosed, struggling to fit in, and then being able to turn things around after realisation, diagnosis, treatment, and self-acceptance.
Co-Founder, Operations & Practice Manager at Grounded Light Counseling
Answered 5 months ago
For years, I thought the answer was to fix broken systems. I worked hard, cared deeply, overextended constantly, trying to improve workflows, communication, and team culture from within. But I eventually hit a wall: my body was exhausted, my boundaries were blurred, and my work no longer aligned with my values. The turning point came quietly—not in a crisis, but in the realization that I didn't want to keep building on someone else's foundation. I wanted to build something from my values, not just around them. That's when my husband and I began co-creating Grounded Light, our virtual counseling practice rooted in clarity, compassion, and intentional growth. One of my biggest lessons? Operational clarity is a form of care. When your systems reflect your values, your team thrives, and so do you. And when your work feels misaligned, your body always knows. You just have to learn to listen.
Nervous-System-Aware Fractional COO & Yoga Teacher Trainer at Alison Reaume
Answered 4 months ago
Dear Dr. Bharat Sangani and Yitzi Weiner. I would love the opportunity to be considered for the When Everything Changed: Lessons From Life's Turning Points series. At 28 years old, my life was forever changed when it was discovered that I had a football sized tumor in my abdomen.The surgery to remove it, didn't quite go as planned, when it was discovered to be connected to my aortic artery. 6 Hours later with a nicked artery, 3 blood transfusions and being told it was cancer (when it wasn't), my life was forever changed. Before this pivotal moment, I was following the path that society dictates, bought a condo, working 9-5 as an Executive Assistant and everything was great. When you are faced with your own mortality, everything changes. I began to ask deeper questions and to reevaluate my life. This was my turning point, that redirected the trajectory of my life. I left the security of my 9-5 to follow my heart by becoming a yoga teacher, then a yoga teacher trainer. I established my own business as a systems strategist supporting executives and entreprenuers in the wellness industry and travelled the word teaching others how to become yoga teachers. The lessons I took away from this experience, rest, resilience and redefining what success looks like, still impact every choice I make 17 years later. This wasn't just a surgery and health crisis, it gave me permission to follow my heart to design the life that I wanted. Alison Reaume
My "turning point" happened after experiencing and beginning the journey of recovery from profound loss. This taught me something crucial: healing is about feeling safe in your body again. This realization led me to graduate school where I studied Contemplative Psychotherapy and Buddhist Psychology, to better understand psychology from a holistic perspective. I went on to study body-centered therapy methods, EMDR, and ketamine-assisted therapy. I founded Sona Collective because I witnessed how many people, like myself, could intellectually grasp their trauma but still felt trapped in survival mode, because the therapy they engaged in was informed by a top-down talk-therapy approach. I knew there had to be a better and faster way to help people feel better. Now I help highly sensitive adults move from just surviving to actually thriving by working directly with their nervous systems rather than trying to think their way out of trauma.
Upon returning from Afghanistan in 2009, having served in the British Army, I found myself changed. I found myself looking at the world with a new lens, looking at life with more purpose, and the impact of my efforts as more of a mission rather than purely transactional. That jolt of change and perspective change still powers me today. There are epochs in our lives, and times of immense impact that lead to change, that was one of the first for me. From that turning point, it directed me to pour my efforts into things that drive lasting change, leaving the world better for having had me working within it. That doesn't necessarily mean lofty irrelevant tasks and roles, quite the opposite, it forced me to see the value and outcome of good, honest work in all areas of my professional life and personal. It pushes me to want to know that with the time I have been gifted, I am making it valuable.
Managing Director & Federal Prison Consultant at Zoukis Consulting Group
Answered 4 months ago
My moment arrived on the day that I stood accross a man whose life was changed within a federal courtroom. I was not merely watching the process — I was witnessing the person face of the law, where accountability and fairness meet compassion. That encounter forever changed how I thought about my work and reinforced my reverence for the values that define the U.S. legal system. As a writer and a consultant to federal inmates, I have written partly to guide people who face prison through the process they will expect — but also to let them know that at its best, law is meant to uphold justice and dignity. The jurisprudence of due process and the Eighth Amendment's proscription against cruel and unusual punishment have been for me an abiding principle: That fairness, justice and empathy go hand in hand. From that pivotal experience in my life and through today, education and preparation have been key to becoming better while helping others go through tough legal times. In my books and consulting work, I've watched knowledge and structure give people the ability to gain confidence in themselves again and rebuild their lives. The biggest takeaway I've had is that circumstances change because people change, and it just often starts with understanding — When you make people feel informed and supported, you get better answers and more responsibility. That realization changed the trajectory of my career from administering cases to assisting people in building character and direction. For me, the moment everything changed came when I realized that justice doesn't just involve outcomes — it also involves leading people to redemption and worthiness.