Expanding the Toolbox

The day began with a captivating sunrise, soft, hopeful, and quietly powerful. My morning walk, as always, brought clarity. It’s in these early hours that my thoughts surprise me the most, unfiltered, honest, and often exactly what I need to hear.

One of the most valuable lessons I’m learning in this season is this, in the midst of uncertainty, create your own certainty. Set small, achievable goals. Take that course you’ve been putting off. Identify your skill gaps. Explore new technologies and new ways of thinking. I like to call it expanding my toolbox. Because nothing you learn is ever wasted, it’s all an investment. A return that may not be immediate, but is always meaningful. It’s all about perspective.

There’s something deeply grounding about the ocean in the morning, the rhythm of the waves, the crisp breeze, the stillness it brings. It reminds me to breathe, to be present, and to trust the process.

As I continue applying for roles, I’ve noticed how much the landscape has changed. The same job title can come with wildly different tech stacks. It makes me wonder, are we expected to be data gurus just to qualify for a single role? When I started out in data management, we were simply called Data Professionals. It was all-encompassing, Systems Analyst, BA, DBA, Developer. I’ve worn all those hats. Today, the roles feel more fragmented, more rigid. The expectations, more complex.

Why have we made it so challenging for data professionals to simply do the work?

Still, I’ve chosen not to be discouraged. Instead, I’m expanding my toolbox with intention. I’m diving into what excites me, building my portfolio, and letting my work speak for itself. Today, I explored Snowflake and AWS, and it felt good to stretch my mind, to learn something new, to feel that spark again.

This journey hasn’t been easy. But growth rarely is. I’m finding strength in the challenge, and grounding myself in faith and spirituality, trusting that what’s meant for me is already on its way.

This is my quiet affirmation, you welcome to use it too!
I am not confined by titles. I am defined by growth.

~ Nerusha

Before the Alarm

 

Lately, I’ve been waking up before my 5 a.m. alarm, even my body seems to sense it’s time to rise. These early hours have become sacred. Mornings offer me clarity, a quiet moment to catch up on admin, sip in the stillness, and take in the simple pleasures that so often get overlooked.

This morning, I was gifted something extraordinary, a shoal of dolphins dancing just beyond the Umhlanga pier. I paused, barefoot on the sand, and let the ocean’s energy ground me. The crisp sea air, the feeling of cold water around my feet, the rhythm of the waves, it all reminded me of how alive and open I can feel when I let go and just be. I took deep breaths, captured a few photos, and allowed my creativity to flow freely. It felt like a reset I didn’t know I needed.

As I walked, I noticed how many people stroll along the promenade, yet very few touch the sand or dip their feet in the water. I did. And it was soul-charging.

Later, I caught up with a friend halfway across the globe. And just like that, the distance disappeared. There’s something beautiful about friendships that don’t fade, they stretch, they bend, but the bond holds strong. It made me reflect on the community that surrounds me. Some family and friends I hadn’t spoken to in years have reached out during this season, offering encouragement and unwavering support. Their presence has been a quiet force helping me keep going.

I’ve been overwhelmed, in the best way, by the kindness, the messages, the check-ins. I often say gratitude is a pillar in my life, but lately, I’ve felt it more deeply than ever before. It’s in these small, steady reminders that I realize how truly blessed I am.

Every day in this season has held a lesson. Some soft, some startling. All of them humbling.

If you’re walking through your own period of uncertainty, I encourage you to pause and ask, what is this moment teaching me? The answers may come quietly, but they always come.

~Nerusha

Rewriting the Narrative of Limitation

This morning began with purpose. I completed a course I’d been working through, and with that final assessment ticked off, came a quiet sense of achievement. It’s amazing how one win can shift your momentum.

These days, the job search has become part of my rhythm, reviewing openings, tailoring CVs, submitting applications. Anyone walking this road knows the emotional terrain well, the hopeful pause after you click “apply,” the rush of excitement when a recruiter calls, the sting of receiving yet another “unfortunately” email. It humbles you. It tests your patience, your persistence, and your sense of identity.

But it also teaches. About resilience. About how you show up under pressure. About what truly helps you cope when the noise gets loud and progress feels slow. I’ve started asking myself:
→ How do I function when the structure falls away?
→ What grounds me when everything feels uncertain?
→ Where do I still believe in myself, even quietly?

I’m learning this is a process worth embracing, not rushing through. Because in the discomfort, there’s growth.

In a conversation with a loved one, I shared some of the mental hurdles I’ve been facing. What stayed with me was this reminder, "Sometimes, the biggest limitations are the ones we unknowingly place on ourselves". We start believing certain doors are closed, not because they are, but because we've stopped trying to open them.

So I’m taking that to heart. This moment, as uncertain as it feels, is also an invitation. To think beyond the familiar. To explore paths that align not just with what I’ve done, but with who I’m becoming.

What if the opportunity lies in what we haven’t yet imagined?
Let’s allow ourselves to believe that the possibilities ahead may just blow our minds, in the best way.

~Nerusha