When Life Presses: Notice what emerges

Last summer in Sicily, we walked through an olive grove.
It was one of those quiet, sun-warmed moments you don’t realise you’ll return to later.
The trees—gnarled, steady, deeply rooted—felt like they had seen seasons I couldn’t yet name.

We had a tasting and were excited to bring a bottle of olive oil home with us.
And now… it’s nearly at the end.

I`m noticing, there are seasons when life doesn’t gently stretch us.
It presses.

Not always loudly.
Not always visibly.
But with a weight that’s hard to ignore.

Holding that almost-empty bottle the other day, I found myself thinking about the olives again.
How they carry something rich within them –
and yet it isn’t released easily.

There is a process.
A crushing.
A pressing.

And only then… something begins to flow.
I notice how quickly I want to move past that part.

To ease the pressure.
To find clarity.
To make sense of things before they’ve had time to unfold.

If I’m honest…
this is where I feel the pull to step away.
To regain control.
To look for answers.

And yet, there’s something about the pressing that invites a different kind of attention.
Not fixing.
Not forcing.
But noticing.

Because when life feels uncertain, something shifts.
The usual markers fall away.
The plans, the timelines, the sense of “knowing.”
And what remains is quieter.
More instinctive.
More real.

In those moments, I find myself asking – gently:
What am I holding onto that no longer fits?
Where am I resisting what is here?
What feels true… even now?

In my work, I often speak about coaching your wild.

Not the wild as chaos – but as something grounded, instinctive, alive.
And I’m beginning to wonder if it’s in these pressed places
that we become more aware of it.

Not because everything makes sense.
But because something deeper begins to surface.
There’s a tension here.
Because I wouldn’t choose the pressing.
And yet…
I can’t ignore what it seems to be revealing.

If you find yourself in a season like this,
I’m not sure the question is how to escape it.
Maybe it’s something quieter than that.

Two gentle steps you might like to try:
1. Stay with what is here (just a little longer)
Not to solve it.
Not to reframe it too quickly.

But to notice –
what thoughts, emotions, or instincts are present when you don’t rush away?

2. Name what feels steady within you
In the middle of uncertainty, something often remains.

A strength.
A value.
A quiet knowing.

What is still true for you… even here?

What, if anything, might be being formed in you… here?

Perhaps the oil was always there.
And the pressing…
is simply where we begin to notice.

I’m Sarah Cretegny, a Transformational Transitions Coach. I create brave spaces where individuals, leaders and their teams can reconnect with who they truly are, so they can lead with greater clarity, courage, and purpose, even in uncertain times.

I’m particularly effective when time is limited and the stakes are high. I draw on evidence-based coaching approaches, strengths expertise, and my lived experience of balancing leadership, family life, and international living. I’m deeply passionate about partnering with people to coach their wild, because the world needs more radically authentic leaders now more than ever.
I am based in Lausanne, Switzerland and coach virtually globally. Find my links here!