When Life Happens/
When life happens: Why Even the Strongest Can Lose Their Way.
Unexpected things can hit out of the blue, and even the most prepared person can’t be ‘ready’ for something they’ve never had to face before.
And yet, we often place expectations on ourselves (and feel it from others too), to know what to do - to meet the moment with calm dexterity and instant readiness. In reality, even the strongest and most resilient can find themselves disoriented, caught in a fog where clarity and direction vanish.
The instinct is to leap into action, to push hard towards a solution. But when the path forward isn’t clear, the risk of heading the wrong way can be paralysing.
What helps in theses moments is a strategy, and the right kind of support.
Stepping outside of the problem, even briefly, creates space to air your thinking and make sense of what’s happening. A pause to reset. Ideally with someone who understands the weight of what’s in front of you - the kind of team you can lean on.
So you can get centred, and go again.
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
Why the Right Kind of Support Matters More Than Quick Fixes.
When life happens, it rarely gives us warning. In those moments, we naturally reach for people we trust. But not every person is the right fit.
These conversations often need more than simply being heard. What we’re really looking for is a space that can hold where we’re at, so we can sort through what’s substantial, grounded, and actionable now - ideally with someone who can work it through alongside us.
However, be mindful of what’s needed when choosing (or being) the confidant - so the conversations are truely helpful.
One of the most testing moments, outside of the situation itself, is when the confidant has little or no understanding of what’s unfolding. That in itself isn’t a dealbreaker, the difficulty comes when their communication style shifts into ‘fixing’, or into curiosity that serves their own learning more than your needs. Well meaning as it may be, this can steer the conversation off track or reduce it to stating ‘the obvious’ - which, for someone navigating a tough moment, is more frustrating than helpful.
Creative people by nature find solutions that aren’t cookie cutter.
So they want conversations that reflect that - ones that recognise their intelligence, their originality, and the strength they carried long before the situation arose. When the tone misses the mark, it can leave them feeling misunderstood, diminished, even ashamed. And because they’re already in a vulnerable place, an extra layer of challenge is then added: trying to respond graciously while realising the helper is operating at a very different level of understanding.
What’s often underestimated is how clever creatives really are. By the time a challenge surfaces, they’ve already thought of multiple ways forward. Being ‘stuck’ isn’t about a lack of ideas - it’s about overwhelm, or the hit to confidence that comes with disruption. What they need most is support that meets them where they are at: step by step, at their pace.
In a safe trusted space, creatives quickly reconnect with their own problem solving instincts. Often, they already know the right questions - they just need those questions answered..
How Creatives Think and What They Really Need in Tough Times
Choosing the right person (or being that person for someone else) has meaning beyond the situation itself. A person’s wellbeing is always quietly attending, and listening in.
Sometimes though, the conversation is better placed with another, who may be more suitable. And knowing that difference matters. It can save a person in distress from being unintentionally overwhelmed, and it can protect the relationship too.
Great people can be there for many things, but not all things. When it comes to confidants, it helps to think like you’re choosing a team - the right people, in the right positions, for the right moments.
Concrete Olive: A Middle Ground for Clarity and Confidence
Not everyone has someone they feel comfortable opening up to. That’s why Concrete Olive exists - to step into that middle ground with you.
Here, the fog begins to lift. You’ll be heard, fully and confidentially, in conversations that are active and clear. Together we’ll zoom out to see the bigger picture, and also turn over the smaller stones so the path forward, and the people who can help, come into view.
You’ll leave with practical strategies you can start now, insights into what’s likely to come next, and ways to keep steady while you move through it. This mix of clarity, confidence, and curiosity supports your wellbeing, and gives your creativity space to do what it does best - problem solve, imagine, and move forward.
That’s the focus of Concrete Olive: not just coping, but helping you sustain, reset, and thrive - even when life happens.
If you found this conversation interesting, you may also like to read the Musing page on ‘pivoting’, which explains why curiosity can be a key element to strategising during challenging times.
Michelle
Book with Concrete Olive