Have you ever noticed how the people who impacted your life most profoundly...

...were those who saw light in you when you couldn't see it yourself? That's why true leadership isn't about being the brightest star, but about igniting the light in others when their world seems darkest."

As we step into 2025, I'm reflecting on how our deepest pain can become our most profound purpose.

Sometimes life breaks us open. For me, it was when my son was prematurely born, my father passed away, and when we transitioned back to The Netherlands as a family, after an amazing transformational journey of 9 years with Mercy Ships. 

But what I've learned is that these moments of heartbreak can become windows of possibility - where our pain transforms into passion, and our struggles birth our strongest calling.

Marshall Goldsmith teaches us that real change happens at the intersection of pain and passion. Pain shows us what needs to change. Passion gives us the energy to make that change happen. But here's the beautiful part - our personal pain often reveals exactly where we can bring the most meaningful healing to others. 

This year, I'm not just setting goals. I'm committing to being the sparkle of hope in someone's darkness. To turning my own experiences into bridges of understanding. To standing with those facing the challenges I know too well.

Because maybe that's what leadership truly is - not just driving change, but being changed ourselves. Being tempered by our experiences until we're strong enough to help others through theirs.

What if your greatest struggle right now is preparing you for your most important contribution?

What if your pain is actually pointing you toward your purpose?

What if 2025 is the year your heartbreak becomes someone else's hope?

Let's be the leaders who don't just manage change, but embody it. The ones who transform pain into purpose, and struggles into service.

Here's to being the sparkle in someone's eye. The hope in their darkness. The proof that pain can become purpose.

What pain are you ready to transform into purpose this year?