What This Space Is For
When life doesn’t work the same way after something important changes or is lost
I’m pinning this to the top of my Substack page so readers, old and new, what this work is for and how to engage with it.
What This Space Is For
This work is about what happens when something important changes or is lost, and life doesn’t work the same way afterward. But we often keep acting like it should.
When that happens, people tend to draw the wrong conclusions. Sometimes for years.
They assume something is wrong with them. Or that something is wrong with someone else.
They try to return to normal and pretend they’re fine. They work even harder to prove it to themselves and others. And they expect other people to do the same.
And when it doesn’t work, they judge themselves or others for reactions that make sense perfect sense given the loss they’re experiencing.
A lot of what gets labeled as burnout, disengagement, resistance, or leadership failure is really unacknowledged loss.
The death of a loved one is just one way we experience loss. It also shows up when roles shift, expectations change, support disappears, or a future you were counting on goes up in smoke.
When loss isn’t acknowledged, it doesn’t disappear. No matter how much you wish it would. It changes how people think, react, relate, and lead.
What I do here is name those patterns.
Not to fix them. Not to guide anyone through their situation. And not to tell people what they should do next.
The purpose of this work is to help people see what’s actually happening so they can make their own decisions based on what’s actually happening.
Some of what I write here won’t wrap things up neatly. That’s intentional. The point isn’t resolution. It’s helping people see what’s actually going on so they stop fighting the wrong thing.
There’s no expectation that you read everything or take anything on. If a piece helps you understand your own experience, or someone else’s, a little more clearly, it’s doing its job.
If you want a more concentrated place to start, I’ve put together a short guide that brings these ideas together:
The Loss Inside Change and How to Respond to It
And if not, that’s fine too. The work will continue here.
Your friend - Jason