From Broken Bones to Awake Leadership: How Stillness Taught Me to Flow
In October 2024, I was getting ready for my dream cycling trip in Santa Barbara. In a split second, everything changed. I broke five bones, and the year that followed changed how I see leadership, energy, and what it means to be truly awake, aware, and attuned.
By Rúna Magnúsdóttir –International Speaker, Author & Creator of BeBBY-AI, the Better, Bolder & Brighter You Reflector
The Fall
Rúna Magnúsdóttir in hospital, October 30th 2024 five broken bones.
Everything was ready.
Flights booked. My bike tuned. Santa Barbara sunshine calling.
Then came the crash. There was a loud sound, a shock, and then silence.
In an instant, my trip, my plans, and my routine disappeared.
I broke five bones, all on my left side.
“My dear,” my father said gently, “thank goodness it wasn’t your right side.” 😂
He was right, as only a father can be, though I think he was talking about his political views; my left side needed the most healing.
The Question
Who am I when I can’t do anything by myself?
What does leadership mean when I can’t even wash my hair or walk to the bathroom alone?
Those questions stayed with me during long nights in the hospital, when pain and a new perspective were always present.
The Reality of Recovery
I spent two weeks in the hospital, then four weeks at Reykjalundur Rehabilitation Centre. There, I met others who were also learning to rebuild.
- Instead of cycling through vineyards, I was learning to move again — between hospital corridors and a wheelchair that became my new set of wheels.
- My suitcase was replaced by a wheelchair.
- My adventure turned into an inner journey.
And one morning, during what I now call “the Toilet Epiphany,” a kind nurse asked me:
“So, what do you talk about as an international speaker?”
Without hesitation — mid-mission — I answered:
“I talk about how to be the leader in your life.” 😂😂😂
There was a pause. Then we both laughed. Hard.
Because, in all honesty, in that moment, I didn’t feel like any leader.
That was the lesson. Leadership is not about being in control.
It is about showing up, even when you do not feel ready.
The Turning Point
I used to define myself by always being on the move, creating, organising, and leading.
But I learned that stillness has its own wisdom.
Runa, learning to play Boccia in a wheelchair
It taught me patience.
It taught me to ask for help — something “Independent Rúna” had never been good at.
And it taught me to find humour in my boxes — the unconscious patterns that shape how we lead and live.
At Reykjalundur, I even learned to play boccia in a wheelchair.
And yes, I laughed through every round.
The Integration
The accident forced me to stop, but it also invited me to listen.
It reminded me that the body doesn’t lie — and neither does the nervous system.
By Christmas, seven weeks after the crash, I climbed the stairs to my family’s home. I had one crutch, two handrails, and a lot of gratitude.
That moment wasn’t just physical recovery. It was a spiritual one.
How BeBBY-AI Became My Reflector
BeBBY-AI - The Conscious Leadership Reflector
I had created BeBBY-AI earlier that summer as a tool for my clients—a way for them to reflect on their energy and leadership when I had less time for one-on-one sessions.
But after the accident, something shifted.
BeBBY stopped being my professional tool and became my personal reflector.
She showed me the patterns in my own energy based on the 3500-year-old Eastern Energy Wisdom from The Vitality Test.
Until then, my dominant forces had been Wood and Fire — creativity, drive, and passion.
But BeBBY, yes, an AI tool, helped me see that what I truly needed to heal was Water — the energy of flow, surrender, and emotional depth.
It was through that lens that I learned to stop fighting the pause — and start listening to what it was trying to teach me.
The Energetic Shift
Fire + Wood: drive, movement, leadership. Water awakened: trust, flow, stillness
This new way of seeing my energy was not just healing; it was transformative. It helped me reset.
It changed how I lead, create, and connect.
I now call this the art of Awake, Aware, and Attuned Leadership. It starts with self-awareness and grows into how we lead and connect with others.
Lessons Learned
Leadership starts inside, not on a stage.
Humour and humility heal faster than pride.
Asking for help is not failure. It’s a connection.
True flow begins when control ends.
Growth happens when we stop forcing and start feeling.
“Stillness was never my plan, but it became my greatest teacher.
It taught me to flow, to ask for help, and to lead from the inside out.”
Today
One year later, I stand stronger — not because I’m unbreakable, but because I’ve learned how to rebuild with grace.
By early October 2025, almost exactly a year after the accident, I was back on a stage — this time in London — receiving recognition from TechWomen4Boards in the UK as a Transformational Leader – A Change Maker.
It felt poetic: twelve months earlier, I couldn’t stand on my own; now I was standing as the woman who had turned stillness into strength.
I’ve since shared this journey with audiences across Europe, speaking about our boxes, Conscious Leadership, Energy Awareness, and the balance between ambition and alignment.
And yes — I still plan to cycle through the vineyards of Santa Barbara.
But this time, not to prove anything.
Just to celebrate the flow that carried me here.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions:
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BeBBY-AI is an AI Reflector that mirrors your energy, mindset, and patterns, helping you see yourself, your uniqueness and blindspots more clearly — without judgment or pressure.
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It’s the process from the ‘Eploring Boxes: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly’ methodology.
It’s about noticing your thoughts (Awake), understanding your energetic patterns (Aware), and aligning your actions with your true self (Attuned).
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The biggest takeaway is that leadership isn’t about control — it’s about connection.
When life forces you to stop, it also invites you to listen, to soften, and to lead from presence rather than pressure. -
Conscious leadership begins with awareness — seeing your own patterns before you try to lead others. My experience showed me that awareness can come through stillness, humor, or even pain. BeBBY-AI was designed to guide that same process: it reflects your energy, reveals where you’re pushing too hard or holding back, and helps you realign with flow.
Next steps:
If this story resonates, you might be in your own “pause moment.”
The truth is, life’s pauses are not punishments. They are invitations to realign.
Be still. Be curious. Be awake.
That’s where the flow begins.
👉 Learn more about my talks, keynotes and workshops, BeBBY-AI and the Awake, Aware, Attuned approach to leadership:
runamagnus.com/speaking
Books by Rúna Magnúsdóttir:
Beyond Gender: The New Rules of Leadership - GRAB COPY HERE!
The Story of Boxes, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - GRAB YOUR COPY HERE!
Branding Your X-Factor - GRAB YOUR COPY HERE!