You Were Groomed for Greatness… And to Obey.
What if achievement is a trauma contract in disguise?
Nicola always followed the rules.
It’s why they chose her.
And why she’s stuck now.
Promoted. Polished. Relied upon.
But never… quite free.
If you’re a high-achieving woman with a glittering CV but a gnawing sense that something’s missing — this is for you.
You’re not crazy.
Not ungrateful.
Not broken.
You were just trained — brilliantly — to mistake obedience for power.
And now that training is starting to crack.
The golden child is grown. And she Wants to shake the cage.
Let’s go back.
You were the one who did everything right.
You played nice. Showed up. Delivered results.
You knew how to shine (but not too brightly.)
You got gold stars and glowing reviews… as long as you didn’t make anyone uncomfortable.
You were fast-tracked. Groomed for leadership.
But what that actually meant was:
You were praised for being sharp (but not sharp-tongued.)
You were rewarded for excellence (as long as it served someone else’s agenda.)
You were celebrated (but only for playing inside the lines.)
They loved your magic.
But only when it made them look good.
When “success” is really survival
At some point, the cracks start to show.
You hit the title. The salary. The corner office.
And yet?
Something in you goes… flat.
You’re tired in a way that rest doesn’t fix.
You’ve got the résumé, but not the resonance.
You ask yourself: Is this all there is?
This is where many women start blaming themselves.
“Maybe I need a new role.”
”Maybe I need more balance.”
”Maybe I need to be more.”
No.
What you need is a reckoning.
Because this isn’t burnout.
It’s your soul finally refusing to play a role it never chose.
Your ambition was real. So was the coping strategy underneath it.
Let’s talk about the unspoken deal many high-achievers made as girls:
“If I’m perfect, they’ll approve of me.”
“If I over-deliver, they won’t leave.”
“If I excel, maybe I’ll finally feel safe.”
Sound familiar?
Those aren’t goals.
They’re survival tactics.
And when you build a career on them, you can get a life that looks amazing on LinkedIn — but feels hollow in your chest.
Because yes, you made it.
But you made it by becoming the person they wanted.
Not the one your soul came here to be.
The cage was built from compliments
Corporate culture knows exactly how to flatter a woman into submission.
You’re one of the good ones.
You’ve got potential.
You’re a leader.
And just when you start to question things?
They dangle another carrot.
A promotion. A high-stakes project. A seat at the grown-up table.
Except the chair is bolted to the floor.
And the ceiling’s still made of glass.
This isn’t mentorship.
It’s grooming.
It’s lipstick on a chain.
And you’re starting to taste the metal.
So why DOn’t you walk?
Because the leash isn’t just professional.
It’s personal…
Ancestral…
Old…
You may have learned — early in this life or another — that visibility is dangerous.
… being powerful gets you punished.
… being fully yourself makes people disappear.
Maybe you were raised in a home where good girls didn’t rock the boat.
Maybe you inherited family patterns that kept women small to stay safe.
Maybe you carry a quiet, ancient memory that says: if I speak my truth, I’ll be cast out.
So you shrink.
You polish.
You over-function in the name of “professionalism” but drag your real voice behind you like a broken wing.
But here’s the truth:
Playing small won’t protect you.
It only disconnects you from yourself.
And that ache you feel?
That’s your soul saying, enough.
You don’t need a rebrand. You need a reclamation.
Most “career coaching” will try to sell you better strategy.
A slicker message. A tighter LinkedIn profile.
And honestly? That might land you your next title.
But it won’t give you your life back.
Because what’s needed here isn’t a pivot.
It’s a return.
To your true voice.
To your true power.
To the parts of you that hid to survive.
That’s not a spreadsheet problem.
That’s soul work.
Here’s what real freedom looks like
It’s not about flipping tables (though that can be fun).
It’s seeing the game for what it is — and choosing not to play it on someone else’s terms.
It’s unhooking your worth from your output.
Letting go of the idea that your power comes from being pleasing.
Reclaiming the parts of you that stopped asking, dreaming, creating.
When that happens?
You stop waiting to be chosen.
You stop asking for permission.
And you start building your life and your leadership around what’s actually yours.
Your voice.
Your values.
Your vision.
Not because someone gave you the green light.
But because you finally realized:
you are the light.