Page 19 - LSFlipFinalV7

NICHOLAS BOOTHMAN
Was it just corporate speak, a cynical reference to
employee productivity under pressure? Or was there
something more sinister at play?
This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. She
remembered a time, not so long ago, when she felt…
lighter. More open. More willing to say “yes” to life’s
possibilities. Now, every invitation, every new request,
felt like another weight added to the already crushing
load.
She found herself saying “no” more and more. Not
because she didn’t want to, but because she simply
didn’t have the bandwidth. No to dinner with friends.
No to that interesting new project. No to anything
that required even a sliver of extra energy.
Her world was shrinking. Her horizons narrowing.
All because of this relentless, suffocating stress.
She looked at her reflection again. The woman
staring back was tired. Defeated. And a little bit
scared.
This couldn’t continue. Something had to change.
This wasn’t about finding some mythical work-life
balance. That felt like chasing a unicorn in a hurricane.
This was about survival. About reclaiming her life,
one small step at a time.
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