When Passion Starts to Hurt


Elena Agafonova

Coach | Author | Happiness Explorer 🌱

Letters of Change

A weekly space for happiness, self-trust & the art of living well

Hello and welcome, Reader!

At the beginning of January, I offered a series of pro bono coaching sessions. It's something I've done for years as a way of giving back.

One of those conversations has stayed with me.

She’s about 45.
A professional violinist.
Plays in one of the most prestigious orchestras in Europe.

From the outside, her life looks like a dream.

Inside, she’s exhausted.

She told me, very honestly:

“Music is my passion. But it’s not my whole life. And lately, it feels like my body is rebelling.”

Then she said something I’ll never forget:

“Playing 6–8 hours a day now feels like making love for 6–8 hours.
It’s too much. It’s no longer intimacy. It’s pressure.”

She hesitated before booking the session.
She’d never worked with a coach before.
But something in her knew she couldn’t keep going like this.

So we explored.

Not how to quit music but how to expand her identity beyond it.

And here’s what surprised her:

What she missed most in life wasn’t creativity.
It was touch.
Tactile experience.
Movement.
Physical presence.

She realized she was deeply connected to:
• the body
• motion
• teaching through experience

Suddenly, new paths appeared:
Not only teaching violin…
but teaching people through movement, sport, physical learning, embodied practice.

Her burnout wasn’t a failure.

It was a signal:

“Your next chapter wants more of you in it.”


The Real Lesson

If she hadn’t accepted that free invitation for a coaching session, she might still be forcing herself to stay in a life that no longer fit.

Not because she’s weak.
But because we rarely give ourselves permission to explore alternatives.

Most people don’t change because they lack courage.
They don’t change because they don’t have a safe way to try.

That’s why I created a free 14-Day Guided Exploration within the Next Chapter Journey Tracks.

Not a leap.
Not a commitment.
An experiment.


Your Invitation

If you feel:
• tired of forcing yourself into old roles
• unsure what your next chapter wants from you
• curious, but not ready for a big decision

This is your door.

For 14 days, you’ll freely explore:
• your values
• your energy
• your direction
• your real options

Then you decide:
You can stop —
or continue with lifetime access to your Next Chapter Journey Track.

No pressure.
It's up to you to start.


With warmth,

Elena


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Letters of Change

Hi, I’m Elena Agafonova — Happiness & Transformation Coach, author of "The Midlife Career Pivot" and "Embrace Change Gently". Letters of Change is your quiet space to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters. Every Wednesday, receive one story, one insight, and one gentle prompt — a gift for the inner growth, helping you move through life’s transitions with more clarity, courage, and self-compassion. We’ll explore themes like: your pathway to happiness, finding purpose, career reinvention, building true self-confidence. These letters are not quick fixes, but invitations to listen deeply and grow forward — one honest step at a time. P.S. If you don’t see the confirmation email in your inbox, check your Promotions or Spam folders — sometimes quiet letters like these get misplaced. 💌

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