Dear, Reader,

The other night, I sat down to draft an email to you. I had earmarked about 45 minutes to write. I typed the date and the subject line, then opened a new tab on my desktop and scrolled social media. Half an hour later, I was no closer to putting an idea to paper. I’d like to say that I pulled it together, but alas, I did not. I ran out of time and had to abandon the endeavor for another day. SO unrewarding.

This mundane thing was actually a moment where I gave up my personal power. Not in a big dramatic way, but passively. Sitting with the uncertainty of what to say felt untenable. So I outsourced my attention to my social feed. Those little dopamine hits felt like relief. I didn’t have to decide anything. I didn’t have to think. I didn’t have to trust the process.

Now, I could sit here and give you a quick “here’s what I did” for getting out of this spiral, but:

1. I don't have one yet. LOL. Stay tuned. It'll be forthcoming; and

2. I think tools are only as useful as your underlying belief about yourself. So let’s start there.

Here’s what I know about where that belief comes from. When you’re raised in an environment that treats your instincts as unreliable, where the “right” answer comes from scripture, your pastor, from God, you don’t learn to sit with yourself. The discomfort of not knowing is a signal to start looking outward, not to trust what’s already inside of you.

We conflate uncertainty with danger. Having THE right answer was essential. So, sitting with uncertainty didn’t just feel like garden-variety anxiety. It felt like a lack of faith.

I’ve done a lot of growing since those days, but that old script still creeps in every so often. It shows up when I’m sitting in front of a blank page. When I’m taking on a new responsibility that I’m unfamiliar with. Anything that requires me to trust my own voice and intuition. So, here's the question of the day.

How do I sit with this? Not how do I fix myself. How do I sit with it?

I'll preface this by saying that this is an ongoing practice, but I’m going to give you a place to start. Pull out a piece of paper, set a timer for 10 minutes, then free write using these prompts:

What did I learn about uncertainty growing up? Was it ok to not know? Or did it need to be resolved quickly?

You'd be surprised at how revealing it is to put pen to paper. Would love to hear your answers and realizations here!

With you in the unraveling,

Kara

P.s. If this stuff has been resonating, I'm planning a free webinar this summer where I'll share the frameworks I've developed around power and how you can start using them. Let me know if this piques your interest.
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DISCLAIMER: The content in this email is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional mental health, medical, or other advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a licensed healthcare provider or mental health professional with any questions you may have regarding your well-being. Never ignore or delay seeking professional help because of something you read in this email or on my website.