Hi Reader,

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Welcome to The Sunday Shift!

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It’s graduation season. A time when people are asking big questions like, “What’s next?” or “Where should I go?” or “What should I do?” And underneath those questions is something deeper: How far am I really willing to go?

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When I was in college, I asked my mom how far was too far to move away. She thought for a moment and said, “West Springfield is far enough.” For context, West Side, a local nickname, is the next town over.

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At the time, I took her response as a boundary. So I stayed close.

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But here’s what I’ve come to understand. Her answer wasn’t about limiting me. It came from her own experience.

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She moved constantly as a child. Her dad’s work had them (my mom, grandmom, and uncle) picking up every couple of years. It was hard for her to build lasting friendships. So for her, staying close meant connection and stability.

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That answer, though small, shaped the next chapter of my life. But later, I made different decisions.

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I traveled, explored, and opened myself up to people and places beyond the lines I once thought I had to stay within. A limit I unknowingly set for myself.

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Now, with my own kids, I’m intentional about not passing down the invisible boundaries I once absorbed. I want them to feel free to go wherever they’re called; and to know I’ll be their cheerleader no matter how far they go.

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Sometimes, the limits we live by aren’t ours. They’re inherited. Passed down. Well-meaning. And not always right for us.

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Ideas to Ponder

• What boundaries were handed to you that you never questioned?
• What’s a "rule" you followed that might not serve you anymore?
• Where would you go next if distance, fear, or obligation weren’t a factor?

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🎯 1 Focus This Week

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Get out your compass and redraw your mental map.
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Challenge one quiet limit—one invisible boundary—you’ve accepted without questioning.

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Whether you’re 18, 22, 38, or 58, you’re still choosing the direction of your life. Wherever you're headed, start by asking if the map you're following is truly your own. There’s no “too late.” Just the next right move.​

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I believe you are the most powerful leader you’ll ever know, Reader. One small shift will help you believe it, too.

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See you next Sunday.

Jenn

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P.S. Forward this to someone standing at a new beginning. Graduation or not, we all deserve the freedom to choose our own way.

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