Have you ever noticed how our minds instantly gravitate toward what could go wrong when facing a significant life decision? We’re remarkably skilled at constructing elaborate scenarios of failure, yet strangely hesitant to imagine success with the same vivid detail.
I’ve been sitting with a few major decisions recently. The kind that keeps you up at night, not because it’s necessarily wrong, but because it’s significant. The sort that makes you question everything you’ve built, everything you are, and everything you could be.
The fascinating part isn’t the decision itself – it’s how we handle these moments. Our brains, trying to protect us, become masterful storytellers of doom. We see the scaffolding of our carefully constructed lives potentially crumbling, forgetting that sometimes structures need to come down to build something better.
But here’s what I’ve learned: the magic often lies in the conversations we’re most afraid to have. Those difficult discussions we’ve been avoiding, the truths we’ve been dancing around, the questions we’ve been too scared to ask – they hold the keys to clarity. It’s ironic how we’ll spend countless hours in our heads running through scenarios, yet hesitate to spend thirty minutes in a conversation that could illuminate the path forward.
These pivotal moments aren’t just about the change itself – they’re about who we become through the process of deciding. They’re opportunities to realign with our values, to remember what truly matters, and sometimes, to admit that we’ve outgrown the spaces we’ve created for ourselves.
At some point, the fear of staying the same must outweigh the fear of change. The question isn’t really “What if it goes wrong?” but rather “What if this is exactly what needs to happen?”
The real transformation often begins the moment we stop avoiding these conversations – with others and with ourselves. Because sometimes, the very thing we’re most afraid to discuss is exactly what we need to hear ourselves say out loud.
Have you been avoiding any conversations lately?
