The moments we take risks in life can feel very scary. But I’ve had pivotal moments where I just knew I had to jump, no matter what came thereafter. The feeling of staying where I was felt harder than stepping into the unknown. So I kept moving, and eventually, the picture became clearer ‘ and good things began to happen.
There was a time I felt deeply stuck in my marriage. Today, I’m good friends with my ex-husband and grateful for everything we shared, especially our wonderful son. But there are times when life calls you forward, and the space you’re in becomes too small. We had been married for seventeen years. That’s a long time ‘ and I had never really discovered who I was as a woman or as an individual. I had been a housewife and a mother, which was beautiful, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to life than what I was living.
My ex-husband had always carried the financial responsibility, sometimes more successfully, sometimes less. But eventually, he asked me to contribute. The truth was, I had no experience working in society, no idea how to earn money, and no clue where to begin. I couldn’t even ride a bicycle in traffic or drive a car. My ex didn’t think I could learn ‘ and maybe, back then, I didn’t either.
But when I turned thirty, something inside me said: Now or never.
I was scared, but I began looking through the classifieds in the newspaper. I found a small ad . a well-known confectionery in Switzerland was looking for someone to sell chocolates. A place visited by VIPs and very wealthy customers. I called. The man on the phone said, “Let’s make a good date — it’s the 9th month of 1999, so let’s meet at 9 o’clock in the morning.”
I agreed. As the day came closer, I grew more nervous. I wore a long skirt and my hair in a braid. I told myself to be quiet and polite , to be the “good girl” I had learned to be. I sat down across from him, and he smiled kindly. “So,” he asked, “who are you? Do you have any experience working in a shop?” Then he glanced at my CV. “It seems you don’t have any references from previous jobs?”
My heart dropped. I thought, This is it. He sees right through me.
But I was honest. I told him I had cooked in the temple since I was young and had spent my time raising a child. He looked at me thoughtfully and said, “I like your courage. I’m going to give you a chance.” Then he added, “I’ll place you at the airport shop — you’ll be independent there, and the other women will show you the ropes.”
I had no idea what I was getting into. But it was the beginning of my independence. I had taken a step.
I walked out of that interview both relieved and terrified. Something in me had shifted. I had said yes to life , not just to the job, but to the unknown, to the possibility of something different. I still didn’t know how it would all unfold, or whether I could really do it. But I had taken the first step.
That Moment . simple and small on the outside ‘ was the beginning of my independence.
In the next blog post, I’ll tell you what happened on my very first day at work, and how each small decision helped me grow stronger, find my voice, and prepare for the biggest leap of all: leaving the life I had known, to discover the woman I truly was.