C omedian Zakir Khan’s decision to postpone his performance until 2030 due to health concerns left his fans worldwide unhappy. Not long before that, singer Arijit Singh had also spoken about stepping back, citing the need to prioritise well-being. These sabbaticals may be indefinite. But what remains loud and clear is the growing conversation around mental health, and the need to reclaim identity beyond performance. And this shift isn’t limited to celebrities. Across professions, from the armed forces to journalism to corporate boardrooms, high-achieving individuals spoke to indianexpress.com, revealing they stepped away not because they couldn’t make a mark, but because they still felt “something missing”. So what does this transition really tell us? Does that success have little to do with how long you stick to one profession? Or that external validation cannot define inner fulfilment?…