Posted on April 22nd, 2026

The entire time, he didn’t look up from signing his books…
Until he did.

And it was to look up at me.

It was quick. Subtle. Almost nothing.
But somehow… it felt like everything.

What was so hard for me to believe now is — I almost wasn’t there for that moment.
Actually… I almost left. More than once.

Not because I was bored.
Not because I had somewhere else to be.

But because the odds felt… almost impossible.

There were thousands of people there.
All hoping for a moment.
All hoping to be seen.

And at a certain point, my mind started doing what minds do.

“It’s probably not going to happen.”
“You can go.”
“You’ve already stayed long enough.”

And to be fair… those thoughts weren’t wrong.
They were practical. Logical. Reasonable.

“Leave now and beat the crowds out.”
Or “Smart to get a head start on the parking lot maze.”
Even “If I make it out now, maybe I can get home to see everyone before they go off to bed.”

But something in me didn’t feel ready to move.

It wasn’t loud.
It didn’t come with a big explanation.

Just a quiet…

“Stay Jovanna.”

So I did.

And then — the moment I had hoped for… but wasn’t expecting… happened.

A pause from his books…
A glance up.
A deliberate walk up to me to ask my name.
A tilt of the head in acknowledgement and a handshake.

A handshake.

From Dr. Gabor Maté himself, the man whose work has impacted millions.
Dr. Gabor Maté had walked over to me to shake my hand.

I didn’t plan it. I mean, I couldn’t have planned it.
I didn’t force it.
I didn’t even fully understand it.

A moment that could’ve easily been missed if I had followed and left with the rest of the logical-thinking crowd.

But I was there for it.

And that’s the part that stayed with me.
Not just the moment itself…
But the decision that allowed me to experience it.

Because your life doesn’t change in the moment —
it changes in the decision before the moment.

The one where you almost talk yourself out of staying.
The one where it feels easier, more logical, more efficient to leave.
The one where nothing is guaranteed… so it feels safer not to expect anything at all.

But something in you says…
Stay.

And you decide to listen.

I don’t need to know what nudged me to stay that night.
I don’t need to understand how that moment found me.

I’m just grateful that I didn’t override myself.
That I trusted the quiet urge.
That I stayed a little longer.

So if you’re in a moment right now where you’re questioning what to do next —
not physically, but mentally… emotionally… energetically…

Pause.
Take a breath.
Go inward for a second.

And ask yourself —
“What actually feels true for me right now?”

Not what’s logical.
Not what’s efficient.
Not what everyone else is doing.

But what feels quietly right.

Because sometimes the answer won’t be loud.
It won’t come with certainty or guarantees.

It’ll feel like a gentle nudge.
A soft pull.
A simple knowing.

And your only job in that moment…
is to listen.

Not rush past it.
Not push it away.
Not talk yourself out of it.

Just listen.

And that decision…
just might be what allows your moment to find you.