When She Read My Eyes, Everything Changed

Last week, while delivering a keynote for the women of WorthIt, something unexpected and pretty amazing happened.

We were in the “introduce yourself” part when one woman shared that she’s really good at reading people’s eyes.

I couldn’t believe how perfectly this tied into my next slide, which had a huge focus on my eyes!

I love using photos to tell stories and had picked ones to take the group through my personal and professional journey. The first image was from a time when I was deep in an abusive relationship. I intentionally chose this one because of my eyes and how the light is completely gone from them.

I invited the woman to come up and share what she saw.

She looked at the picture and said, “You look like you’re just there… like there’s nothing really behind your eyes.”

Then she looked at me and said, “But today, you’re full of joy. You’re alive.”

She captured it perfectly! The whole reason I chose that photo was to illustrate just how much has changed. Not just in my circumstances, but in me.

You can’t fake the light in your eyes. It tells your story without saying a word.

Why am I sharing this here? Because transformation isn’t just about career growth or hitting milestones.

Sometimes it’s about reclaiming yourself, your confidence, your voice, your sense of purpose and letting that shine through in everything you do.

If you’ve ever looked at a photo and thought, “I don’t even recognize myself,” I get it because I’ve been there.

I want you to know though, that the light can come back and you can shine brighter than ever. It starts with one step forward no matter how small.