A degree may be the reason you begin the journey, but what you learn along the way can shape you just as much. Dr Udaya Rathnayake reflects on resilience, family, financial realities and the lessons he gained while pursuing his PhD in Australia.

Some seasons of growth don't look like growth at all. Like the caterpillar, we may not recognise what we are becoming while we are in the middle of the transformation.

How much of what you call success is actually yours? Sometimes, leading your shift means questioning the expectations you've carried for years and giving yourself permission to define success on your own terms.

You don’t always notice when you’re shrinking. It’s subtle. Gradual. Easy to explain away. For a few years, I lived in a small town. At the time, it made complete sense. I was raising my kids as a single mum, working full-time, and completing my PhD. I needed a setup that allowed me to manage everything, and it worked. But after a while, something started to shift. From the outside, it looked like I was holding it all together, but quietly, something in me was changing. I los