Elena Agafonova

Coach | Author | Happiness Explorer 🌱

Letters of Change A weekly space for happiness, self-trust & the art of living well Let’s begin gently

Hello and welcome, Reader!

There’s a very quiet moment many of us reach in midlife.

You don’t hate your job.
You’re not in crisis.
But something inside feels off.

You start thinking about change.
About “what’s next.”

And then — instead of moving forward —
you choose what already feels familiar.

Not because you’re weak or lazy.
But because familiarity feels like safety.

I know that feeling very well. I’ve been there myself.

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When I Chose Comfort Instead of Truth

I was almost 40.
Senior Business Development Manager in a global IT company serving the travel industry.

From the outside, everything looked great:
status, income, stability.

Inside?
The meaning was gone.

At first, I thought an MBA would fix it.
A smart restart. A new direction.

Eventually, I did quit that “magnificent” job and started my own business.

I simply copied what my employer had done:
E-commerce consulting for travel companies.

And yes… it worked.

I served smaller businesses.
They valued my work.
They paid well.
I earned even more than before.

From the outside, it looked like a bold pivot.

From the inside, it wasn’t.

I was doing the same thing — just under my own name.

The first year felt exciting because everything was new:
clients, contracts, being an entrepreneur.

But after about a year and a half…
the same emptiness came back.

I was burned out again.
Disconnected again.

Comfortable... and unhappy.

The Pause That Changed Everything

I couldn’t go on.

So I paused my work.
Delegated contracts to colleagues.
And asked myself a hard question:

“What is wrong with my comfort?”

Objectively — nothing.
Subjectively — everything.

Then, one day, I saw an invitation to an “Open Door” event at a Coaching Institute.

I didn’t even really know what coaching was.
But something in me said: Go.

One small decision changed everything in my life.

At that event, I realized something uncomfortable and honest:

What are my values?
My real desires?
My direction?

But I was ready to explore.

And everything that followed — my books, my private coaching practice, the Next Chapter Journey Project —
started with that one open door.

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What I See in the Reflections of Next Chapter Journey Participants

Every story is unique.
But the pattern is the same.

Many people feel “off.”
Restless.
Uninspired in their current period of life.

And instead of asking Who am I becoming?
​they ask: How can I stay safe?

So they choose the comfort of the known.

Not because it’s right.
But because it’s familiar.

And familiarity is not the same as truth.

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A Gentle Way to Begin

Consider the 14-Day Guided Exploration inside the Next Chapter Journey.

Not to push you into big decisions.
Not to make you quit your job tomorrow.

But to help you:
• reconnect with your values
• understand what kind of change you’re really facing
• and take your first honest steps without pressure

If you feel “ready for something new” but keep choosing what’s comfortable instead, this is a gentle place to begin.

Explore the 14-Day Journey

No force.
No drama.
Just truth, clarity, and small real steps.

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With warmth,

Elena

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