Shock. You don't see it coming.

It started as a regular Saturday morning. I had taken my daughter to the salon to fix her hair when I received the call that changed my life. My dad had stopped breathing, and the doctors were fighting to save him.

My dad had fallen ill a week prior. While it was serious enough to hospitalize him, I didn't think it would lead to his passing. On the contrary, I had been on a video call with him earlier that morning. We had our usual banter, and he appeared to be getting stronger.

So no, I couldn't wrap my head around the news when it came. I felt like I passed out for a few seconds that felt like an eternity, then came back almost instantly, mumbling incoherent words.

That was one of my shock experiences.

Another came from work.

I was preparing for a meeting when I received an email inviting me to an impromptu call. It was called a quick meeting. In that meeting, I was told that the new leadership was going in a different direction and that my services would no longer be required. End of discussion.

The delivery was swift. No emotion. Just a business decision.

It took me a few minutes to comprehend what had happened after I dropped off the call. No warning. No nothing. I walked away from my desk, stepped outside for air, then came back to brace myself for my next meeting, where I had to share the news with my team.

Two very different events. One very familiar feeling.

What I experienced in both moments was almost a brain freeze. My mind simply refused to accept or process what had just happened. And I have come to understand that this is not a weakness. It is actually a gift.

Shock is embedded in us for a reason. It is the mind's way of protecting us from absorbing too much, too fast. It buys us time. It holds us together in the seconds before we are ready to fall apart. Without it, the full weight of certain moments would be unbearable.

So if you are in shock right now, from a loss, a sudden change, or a decision that came out of nowhere, do not fight it. Let it do its work. Consider it a soft landing to protect your mind from feeling more than you can hold.

Have you experienced shock during a transition or major life change? I would love to hear how it showed up for you.

To new chapters and bold transitions,

Dr. Tolu Rogers

Transformation and Transition Coach

Founder, The Chapter Shift