The Space Between Fear and Possibility
The other day, I found myself staring at my computer screen with a list of tasks in front of me and a question quietly circling in my mind. What if this doesn't work? It wasn't the first time that thought had appeared over the last couple of months, and I'm guessing it won't be the last.
Recently, my daughter Hannah, her partner Lorenzo, and I began working on a new project together. While I am not quite ready to share all the details, I can tell you it is something completely outside my comfort zone. It has required us to learn new skills, solve problems we didn't know we'd have, make decisions, ask questions, and step into unfamiliar territory. Some days I feel excited and energized by the possibilities. Other days I wonder what in the world we got ourselves into.
Maybe you've felt that way too.
There is something interesting that happens whenever life nudges us toward something new. At first, it often arrives as a whisper. A little idea. A curiosity. A possibility that keeps returning no matter how many times we try to dismiss it. It taps us gently on the shoulder and asks us to pay attention.
For me, that whisper gradually became impossible to ignore. As this project began taking shape, I noticed two very different conversations happening inside my head. One part of me was excited. It could see the possibilities. It loved the idea of learning something new and creating something from the ground up. It enjoyed the challenge and the opportunity to stretch beyond what felt familiar.
The other part of me wasn't nearly as enthusiastic. That voice had questions. What if this is a mistake? What if it doesn't work? What if you don't know enough? What if you aren't the right person for this?
The funny thing is that when I really sat with those questions, I realized they weren't actually about the project itself. They were about me. Could I do it? Could I learn something completely new at this stage of my life? Could I contribute in a meaningful way? Did I have what it takes?
The more I reflected on those questions, the more I realized this isn't the first time I have stood at the edge of something unfamiliar wondering if I was capable. In fact, many of the most meaningful experiences of my life started exactly the same way.
The first time I stood in front of a room to teach, I was nervous. The first time I facilitated a workshop, I questioned myself. The first time I launched a podcast, I wondered if anyone would listen. The first time I shared deeply personal stories through my writing, I worried what people would think.
None of those experiences came with guarantees. None of them felt comfortable in the beginning. Yet every single one of them helped me grow in ways I never expected.
That is the thing about growth. We often think we need confidence before we begin. We think we need certainty before taking the first step. We tell ourselves that once we know enough, feel ready enough, or become brave enough, then we'll move forward.
But life rarely works that way. Most of the time, confidence comes after we begin. The growth comes after we stretch. The courage comes after we discover we can survive being uncomfortable.
I think that is why challenging ourselves is so important. It reminds us that we are capable of more than we think. It expands our world. It teaches us new skills and introduces us to new possibilities. Most importantly, it helps us discover strengths that would have remained hidden if we had chosen to stay comfortable.
As I've gotten older, I have noticed that many women stop challenging themselves. Not because they don't want more out of life, but because they become comfortable where they are. Or perhaps they begin to believe it is too late to try something new.
I don't believe that for a second. I believe there is still room to grow. Still room to learn. Still room to surprise ourselves, and still room to become.
The truth is, our inner critic will almost always find reasons not to begin. It will remind us of everything that could go wrong. It will point out our weaknesses and amplify our doubts. Meanwhile, our heart quietly continues nudging us toward possibility, curiosity and expansion. Toward something we cannot quite explain but somehow know we are meant to explore.
That is where I find myself right now. Standing at the edge of something new.
Excited.
Nervous.
Curious.
Hopeful.
Not because I know exactly how everything will unfold, but because I am willing to trust myself enough to find out.
So if there is something calling to you right now, a dream you've been postponing, an idea you've been considering, or a change you've been afraid to make, perhaps this is your reminder. You do not need all the answers before you begin. You do not need certainty before taking the first step. You simply need enough courage to trust that you can learn along the way.
Because some of the most beautiful things in life happen when we stop listening to the voice that says "What if I can't?" and start paying attention to the one that whispers "What if I can?" And maybe that is exactly where growth lives, in that sacred place where uncertainty and excitement meet, in the space between fear and possibility.
xo, Sheryl
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