The Dough Never Lies

My wife is the guardian of the sourdough in our home.
She feeds it, folds it, times it perfectly.
It’s alive — and she knows exactly how to care for it.

When she leaves, she gives me instructions:
“Fold it every 40 minutes. Four times.”

Seems simple, right?
Except… she knows exactly how many times I actually do it.
And somehow, she always knows when I’ve rushed it.

The dough tells the truth.

It’s a mirror for how I handle pressure.
When I feel rushed, I overdo it.
When I’m uncertain, I interfere.
When I’m impatient, I destroy the timing that gives it life.

That’s how pressure works in everyday life too.
We want results now.
We push harder.
We think speed equals progress.
But most of the time, it just ruins the rise.

What I’m learning — from bread, not books —
is that patience is power.
Timing is wisdom.
And trust is the real skill.

I see this same pattern in many professionals I coach —
brilliant people caught in
careers that no longer fit who they’ve become.

They keep “folding the dough” of their lives — forcing effort, chasing clarity —
when what they really need is to pause and let things settle.

Most of my clients cry in the first session — not because they’re sad, but because it’s the first time someone showed them who they really are.

And like the dough, your real shape appears
when you stop rushing the rise.

Question:
Where are you rushing what’s meant to rise on its own?

P.S.
The dough never lies.