It’s 1999. Belgrade has been under bombardment for three months.
I’m in my final year of geophysics, full of dreams, plans, and youthful hope— and totally unaware that I’m about to learn one of the most important life lessons: how my nervous system regulation and income are irreseparably linked. I imagine myself out in the field trip with equipment, measuring, collecting the data, and solving real-world problems like the brilliant young engineer I believed I was destined to become.
Except… there was no field trip.
No funding.
And, quite frankly, no safe ground to stand on.
Deep inside, I was already exhausted. The constant anxiety and uncertainty were wearing me down. Studying became my escape — my “other world” where I felt in control despite the chaos. But everything I had envisioned for my graduation project — my career launch, my “big break” — collapsed overnight.
The Fork in the Road: Strategy vs. Capacity — And How Nervous System Regulation and Income Are Deeply Linked
One afternoon, sitting in my mentor’s office and discussing my graduation project, we went over my two “choices” I was given due to the situation in country:
Option A: Join a large geophysical data project (without field work) where my work would be… invisible, behind the scenes, with no chance to make my own impact.
Option B: Use geophysical principles in a completely different discipline — biophysics — helping a private medical practice develop a mathematical model for magnets used in healing wounded soldiers.
There was only one problem: Option B terrified me.
I didn’t know anything about medicine, and I’d have to work with Dr. Dušanka Mandić, a renowned inventor recognized for her pioneering work with magnets in healing. I’d have to rewrite software, partner with a renowned medical inventor, and present my findings in a space where I felt like an imposter.
I cried for days. Not cute, cinematic tears. The ugly, “I-can’t-do-this” kind of tears.
I wanted to prove myself as a young engineer, but the war made my vision impossible. I felt unprepared, unsafe, and completely out of control.
After 3 days of being locked in my room and processing everything, desperate and exhausted, I finally gave in. I took the project and began one of my most gratifying experiences.
And that decision changed my life — not only allowing me to make a real contribution, but also teaching me my first lesson about nervous system regulation and income.
Lesson #1: Fear Isn’t the Enemy — It’s a Signal (And the First Step Toward Nervous System Regulation and Income Alignment)
Back then, I didn’t know about nervous system regulation.
I didn’t know what “embodiment” meant. I didn’t know why I felt paralyzed or why the idea of stepping into something new felt like danger.
All I knew was that my entire body was screaming, “No, this is unsafe!”
Here’s the thing:
Your nervous system doesn’t care about your ambitions and goals. It cares about survival.
When you face uncertainty, visibility, or rapid change, your body reacts first — not your rational mind.
- Fight: Push harder, overwork, hustle nonstop.
- Flight: Avoid, procrastinate, “accidentally” binge Netflix.
- Freeze: Shut down, lose clarity, can’t make decisions.
- Fawn: Over-please, over-deliver, undercharge.
25 years ago, I didn’t have the language for it, but I know now what was happening:
My nervous system was in survival mode. I was deep in a freeze state. And honestly, I didn’t know that was normal, considering everything happening around me.
But here’s the breakthrough:
When I allowed myself to feel the fear – not only from the project but also existential fear that was accumulating for months, to cry, to release everything, my body and nervous system began to regulate. Crying is one of the most natural somatic releases our body has, and it plays a powerful role in creating safety within the nervous system. When we allow ourselves to cry—especially after holding difficult emotions for a long time—we’re not just “being emotional.” We’re giving the body permission to discharge stress, release tension, and reset the nervous system.
After a deep, full cry, the body often shifts into a state of calm—breathing slows, muscles soften, and the heart rate stabilizes. This shift creates a felt sense of safety.
When the nervous system feels safe, it’s easier to accept what is—to meet our reality without judgment or resistance. Crying often opens the door to deeper self-compassion and understanding.
Only when I went through this process could I see the opportunity in front of me.
And the very thing that terrified me became my first entrepreneurial venture — and my first income.
Lesson #2: Safety Creates Capacity (and Capacity Creates Income — The Core of Nervous System Regulation and Income Flow)
Fast forward a few months:
I’m working alongside Dr. Dušanka Mandić, a brilliant inventor using magnets to heal wounds and non-invasively remove shrapnel and metal objects from the body. We redesigned the software, created models for MADU trap and tape, and explored how magnetism affects biological systems and accelerates healing.
It was groundbreaking.
It was terrifying.
And it taught me something life-changing:
If your body doesn’t feel safe, you can’t hold more.
Not more visibility.
Not more responsibility.
Not more income.
Here’s the science:
Your nervous system is constantly scanning for threats vs. safety.
When it perceives danger (even imagined danger, like fear of failure or being judged), it limits your capacity to expand — biologically. Your prefrontal cortex (responsible for decision-making and creativity) literally goes offline.
This is why so many entrepreneurs burn out.
It’s not because they lack strategy.
It’s because their nervous system is maxed out.
When we regulate first, everything shifts:
- Decisions get easier.
- Confidence flows naturally.
- Pricing premium offers feels safe.
- Scaling becomes sustainable.
Safety isn’t a luxury. Safety is strategy — something every somatic business coaching approach understands.
Lesson #3: Expansion Lives Outside the Comfort Zone (But Only If the Body’s On Board)
That first project opened doors I couldn’t have imagined:
I became an associate at a renowned private medical practice for over 10 years.
I published papers.
I traveled.
I built a reputation at the intersection of geophysics and biophysics.
And yet, it almost didn’t happen — because my body initially said no.
Here’s what I know now:
The opportunities that scare you most are often the ones that expand you.
But forcing yourself without regulation leads to burnout, shutdown, or self-sabotage.
Embodiment isn’t about “pushing through” fear — it’s about creating safety while you expand.
That’s what I accidentally discovered in 1999, crying for three days and then taking the leap anyway:
The key wasn’t avoiding fear.
The key was allowing my body to process it first.
Why This Matters for Your Business & Income
I see this pattern every day in my work with established women entrepreneurs:
They invest in business coaches.
They implement every strategy.
They “do everything right.”
And yet… they’re still stuck at the same income level, battling self-doubt, procrastination, and burnout.
Not because they’re not smart enough.
Not because they’re not capable enough.
But because their nervous system isn’t on board.
You don’t have a strategy problem.
You have a capacity problem.
When your body feels safe, you stop leaking energy into fear and survival — and that’s when income flows.
Your nervous system sets your income ceiling long before your strategy does. This is the foundation of effective somatic business coaching — and the hidden key to sustainable nervous system regulation and income growth.
Final Reflection: What 1999 Taught Me About Success
Looking back, I realize that 1999 wasn’t just the year I’ll remember for my country being at war. Or that I graduated with the highest honors.
It was the year I learned the most important entrepreneurial lesson of my life:
Regulation creates capacity. Capacity creates income.
So if you feel stuck, burnt out, or blocked… pause (and of course you don’t need to hide from the rest of the world for days).
Just before you add another strategy, another marketing plan, another course — ask your body:
“Do I feel safe holding what I’m asking for?”
Because here’s the truth:
Your income can only expand to the level your nervous system feels safe to receive. In my coaching practice, I use a uniquely tailored approach rooted in somatic and embodiment practices, coupled with cutting-edge science-based strategies. Together, we guide you back into your body and regulate your nervous system.
We create safety, and reconnect you with your unshakable self-worth — because this is where everything you want to create and become originates. Whether you’re growing your business, scaling your impact, or expanding your income and freedom, sustainable transformation starts from within your body.
If you are ready to finally redefine success on your terms and rebuild capacity for all the good that awaits you – let’s talk.
