Money, Sleep, and the Lesson I Didn’t See Coming

A  month ago, I walked into a Morgan Stanley event expecting to hear about wealth-building strategies, or maybe a fresh take on money mindset. I was ready for tactical tips, investment insights, and practical tools to grow my financial world.

What I didn’t expect was to sit through a talk on sleep!!

When I saw the title—something about “Efficiency and Sleep”—I paused. For the past few years, I’ve been navigating middle-of-the-night wake-ups that leave me wide-eyed at 3 a.m., wondering how to fall back asleep. I had already tried melatonin, magnesium, evening rituals—you name it. I chalked it up to perimenopause, figured I’d done all my homework, and thought there probably wasn’t much new to learn.

But sitting in that room, I didn’t tune out. I chose curiosity instead. I wanted to observe how the speaker, Dr. Melissa Milanak, delivered her message—how she engaged the audience, how she presented complex ideas with clarity and calm authority. I wasn’t expecting to learn anything new about sleep… but because I stayed open, I ended up receiving so much more.

Her presence was magnetic. She spoke with such intelligence and ease that I couldn’t help but lean in. I caught myself thinking, Wow, she’s brilliant—and more people need to hear her. That moment of inspired action came quickly: I approached her right after the talk and invited her to be a guest on my podcast, The Courage To Be™.

That one decision—rooted in openness—led to one of the most insightful episodes I’ve ever recorded.

She shared something that really stuck with me: that trying harder to fall asleep—especially after waking up in the middle of the night—can actually make things worse. The effort, the anxiety, the pressure all activate the brain and keep us from resting. And that idea that we all need a perfect eight hours? Another myth. “Sleep needs are individual,” she said. “What matters is how you feel during the day, not hitting a specific number.” That reframe lifted a massive weight off my shoulders.

If you want to learn more about her science-based strategies for falling back asleep, understanding perimenopausal disruptions, and why CBT-I is a game-changer for so many women, make sure to listen to this week’s episode of The Courage To Be™. And don’t miss next week’s follow-up where we go even deeper into her work. You can listen here

But this article isn’t really about sleep. It’s about presence. It’s about openness. It’s about staying available to the unexpected and recognizing that growth doesn’t always look like we think it will.

Growth Doesn’t Always Knock Loudly

We tend to expect opportunities to arrive with clarity and certainty—an invitation, a title, a defined outcome. But the truth is, the biggest shifts in life often begin with something subtle: a quiet nudge, an unexpected conversation, a topic you didn’t think applied to you.

If I had dismissed that sleep talk because it wasn’t what I came for, I would’ve missed the brilliance of Dr. Milanak—not just her teachings, but her as a speaker, as a thought leader, as someone whose voice I knew needed to reach more people.

That’s the thing about inspired action. It doesn’t always feel big in the moment. Sometimes it’s as simple as following a spark, asking a question, sending a message, saying yes.

Stay Curious, Not Certain

One of the fastest ways to block growth is to believe you already know. That voice of, “Been there, done that,” is sneaky. It sounds smart. It sounds experienced. But it shuts the door before you even know what’s on the other side.

Curiosity, on the other hand, is expansive. It allows new information to land. It makes room for surprise. And it invites a level of flexibility that’s essential if you want to evolve—not just personally, but professionally.

Especially as women leaders, creators, and visionaries, we’re often expected to be the expert. But expertise doesn’t mean shutting down new input. It means staying engaged—even when the topic feels familiar.

Connect the Dots Later

Steve Jobs once said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.” That quote has stuck with me for years, and this experience with Dr. Milanak was a perfect example of that truth.

I went to the event thinking I’d gain financial insights. I walked away with a podcast guest, fresh wisdom around sleep, and a reminder of how powerful it is to say yes to what’s in front of you.

Sometimes you don’t know why something is happening in real time. But if you stay open, you’ll be able to look back and see how perfectly it fits into the bigger picture—how that one moment led to new connections, new lessons, and new possibilities.

Inspired Action Is a Muscle

We often wait until we feel 100% ready, clear, or confident to take a step. But inspired action rarely works that way. It doesn’t come with guarantees. It comes with nudges. You feel a pull, and you move.

The more you practice responding to that inner nudge—whether it’s inviting someone to collaborate, pitching a new idea, or staying present at an event that seems off-topic—the more momentum you create.

That day, I didn’t sit there waiting for a perfect “aha.” I followed the flicker of curiosity. And it led to a full-circle moment: learning something new, sharing it on a platform that amplifies women’s voices, and giving others the chance to benefit from it too.

Where Are You Willing to Stay Open?

We all have areas where we’re tempted to tune out. Maybe it’s a conversation that feels too familiar. Maybe it’s a workshop that seems irrelevant. Maybe it’s a suggestion that rubs against your sense of expertise.

But what if, instead of shutting down, you asked yourself: What else might be here for me? What connection might I make? What skill might I observe? What lesson might be waiting if I stay just a little longer?

You never know when the next dot is being placed—one you’ll connect months or years from now in ways you couldn’t possibly predict.

So the next time you’re tempted to zone out, write something off, or assume there’s nothing new to learn, try leaning in. Stay open. Follow the nudge.

You just might find yourself exactly where you’re meant to be.

To your success and abundance,

Tania

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