Yesterday, I had a conversation with a colleague I’ve known for over 15 years. She’s someone who has been in this work for a long time, and during our call, she shared that she was “in it”—caught up in the swirl of life and wrestling with an old pattern that had resurfaced.

When she said, “I thought I dealt with that,” it was a familiar refrain. Haven’t we all felt that way at some point? You’ve done the work, faced the challenge, and moved through it. So why does it come up again, and why now?

Here’s what I’ve learned:

You did deal with it—at the level you were living and leading from before. But every time we take a big evolutionary leap, we’re stepping into a new frequency of leadership, old patterns often resurface…

Not because we’re stuck, but because there’s an aspect of ourselves—hidden, tucked away, or forgotten—that we need to reclaim for this next level of our journey.

Growth Happens in the “Estuaries”

Growth isn’t always a straight line. Sometimes, it feels like we’re moving effortlessly in a slipstream, deeply guided, and held by grace. Other times, we’re drawn into an estuary. Just like the place where the river meets the Ocean, estuaries in our leadership journeys are where our past and our future meet. They are places where things slow down, sometimes we swirl or feel blocked, and we often don’t know why we’re there.

What’s happening in those moments?

Estuaries are where we revisit and reclaim parts of ourselves that we hid away long ago because we believe they were welcome or would get us the love, success, or acceptance we need. 

When you find yourself in an estuary… especially if you’re at the beginning of a big leadership leap… it’s an invitation to see which hidden parts of us are calling out, ready to be reclaimed so we can lead from a new place.

The next time you’re in an estuary and an old pattern has resurfaced, remember that it’s not a sign of failure or a sign that you haven’t grown—it’s an invitation. An invitation to ask:

• What am I here to reclaim?
• What aspect of myself has been waiting for this moment to be reintegrated?

The truth is, this part of the journey—from wounding to sovereignty—isn’t an obstacle. It’s an essential part of any leader’s growth path.

When we meet these moments with resistance—“I hate this, I shouldn’t be here, I’ve dealt with this already”—we miss the opportunity. But when we approach them with curiosity and love, we create space to integrate the parts of ourselves we need for our next phase of leadership.

So wherever you are right now—whether you feel held in grace or like you’re struggling in the shadows—know this…

You are always held. You are always guided. And you are always on the path.

Take a moment to get present, to center yourself, and to remember that you are never alone. This is your journey, and every step—every estuary, every slipstream—is part of your becoming.

You’ve got this. And Spirit has you. Always.