The Middle

No one talks about the middle. And I get why. The beginning gets all the glory—the excitement, the passion, the fire. You're just starting something new. It's fun. It's full of energy and potential.

Then there's the end—the finish line.

That part where we celebrate. The title. The recognition. The payoff. This is where the story starts getting told in past tense. You're not doing it—you did it. You set out to achieve something, and you nailed it. Finally.

But the middle?

That’s where things get interesting. That’s where people get overwhelmed.

That’s where people quit or disappear—or at the very least, start questioning everything

they thought they wanted. I’m only saying this because this is where I am. This is where I’ve been.

And this is where I’m still learning how to exist.

I’m not failing—but I’m not thriving.

I’m not giving up—but I’m not going all in anymore.

I’m not really stuck—but I’m not exactly sure how to move forward either.

This is the part no one prepares you for. It comes after you’ve already accomplished so much.

But now your dreams start to feel like a weight. Life gets full—full of responsibilities that come with the thing you once wanted so badly. And somehow, it leaves you feeling confused, overwhelmed, and caught in the middle of pure chaos.

Suddenly, you’re looking around thinking,

“Wait… what the fuck is this?”

“Is this really where I want to be?”

“This didn’t turn out how I thought it would.” This is literally the moment where so many people stop and say, “What the actual fuck?” As a stylist, it might look like your clients aren’t booking like they used to. As a salon owner, the bills keep coming. The team keeps doing their thing.

But that spark—that momentum? Gone.

Your passion starts to feel like pressure. Your dreams start to feel like debt. But here you are.

Still showing up.

Still smiling.

Still posting.

Still leading everyone but you.

Still hoping—hoping you’ll find hope.

You know how I know this? Because I’m doing it too. And this is the part no one ever talks about: I’m quietly grieving.

Quietly doubting.

Quietly burning out.

And I’ve felt like no one sees it. Like no one really knows what I’m carrying. Because in the middle—it usually feels like it’s just you. Everyone around you either thinks you’re doing amazing, or they’re too busy surviving their own chaos to even notice.

So this is where the questions show up:

Have I gone as far as I can go?

Did I mess this shit up?

Is this even what I want anymore?

And if it’s not… how the hell do I figure out what’s next?

Here’s what I’m learning:

That little voice inside your head—the one that screams doubt, fear, rejection, excitement, eagerness… all at the same time? Yeah. That voice gets loud in the middle. It used to tell you who you were and what you wanted. But now that you’ve been here for a while, you’ve experienced things you didn’t expect. You’ve seen the good, the hard, the real. And that is how the dream becomes reality. It might not look like it did in the beginning and that's okay. Because it’s more powerful now—seen from the middle, not the start.

The beginning gets you going.

The end gets you seen.

But the middle?

The middle is where you figure out who you really are.

It’s where your grit gets tested. It’s where you stop performing… and start being honest.

And that honesty? It starts with you.

In my opinion, the middle might be the best part. It’s where vulnerability becomes less scary—because it becomes part of you. You’ve lived through enough to know that being real is the only way forward.

Maybe the middle isn’t the end of anything.

Maybe it’s the beginning of everything.

So here I am. Still in the middle. Still in the mess. But still believing—just not blindly anymore. I don’t have all the answers, but I do have purpose. I don’t have the plan mapped out all the way to the end, but I do have awareness.

And authenticity and awareness?

They’ve become really beautiful friends.

And I think being confident in that—being rooted in this part…the pivot, the shift, the middle space between what was and what’s next—being aware of the middle is more powerful than pretending you’re still at the beginning. That’s why, to me, the middle is so beautiful and maybe more of us should talk about it.

Because I believe the whole journey deserves to be shared.