In this heartfelt talk, Jeffrey uses a shaken soda bottle as a metaphor for the emotions we hide inside. He shares his struggle after leaving a stable job just before the pandemic, pretending to be fine while silently breaking under pressure. Through his personal story, he introduces a framework called PAUSE: Permission, Acknowledge, Understand, Shift, and Engage, a reminder to pause, acknowledge, understand, shift, and engage with emotions before they escalate. His message is simple yet powerful: what we don’t see within us shapes everything we do, and true strength begins when we dare to face it. Early in his career, Jeffro was part of digital transformation projects that kept missing deadlines. The real issue wasn’t the technology, it was the hesitation and resistance people carried beneath the surface. That discovery drew him into the emotional side of work, where clarity can turn doubt into momentum. Today, he explores what lies behind the visible - the fears, values and motivations that shape how we show up. For him, beneath the surface isn’t just a theme, it’s a lived practice of helping people move with clarity and confidence. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx