The Fear of Not Knowing: Take the Next Step in Faith

Are we going to co-create and co-produce our movie with God as one and trust every step of the way? Or are we going to dwell and wallow in the fear that oftentimes comes with uncertainty? It's the last day of the Faith-Based Coaching Academy,, and we are having a live session in which we revisit our intention for the semester, and we see how far we've come along, what has transformed within us, where are we at, and what do we need support with so that we can continue our journey to greatness, to becoming our best selves. And one of my students, Maite is her name, she was sharing about her journey, where she was at when she got here, where she's in right now, and where she's headed and all the possibilities and opportunities that she's seen that weren't possible before. And then she says this phrase, which she borrowed from someone. I wish I knew who to give credit to, but I'm gonna give it to Maite 'cause she's the one who introduced me to it. She said, "You know, I've realized that as I walk forward, the path appears." And I was like, "Wait, what?" I love words. So when they say something so beautiful as that, I have to, hear it again. And I'm like, can you repeat that? And she's like, as I walk, the path appears. And that's what today's episode is about. It's about learning how to take the next right step without needing to know what's ahead or having clarity about the entire journey. Take the step, 'cause sometimes we get caught up on Oh my gosh, like, what if I don't know anything, everything that we need to know? And what if I fail? And we have all these questions and we don't have the clarity as to how exactly it's gonna play out. But my first business coach ever, Luly B, taught me that you build the plane as it's flying. You sometimes cannot know too much information because it's not available yet. Because God is working on it, it's not available. So you get to take the first step today knowing that the path will appear. So my friend, today we're going to talk about "As You Walk Forward, the Path Appears," and what that means for you in this journey that you're in, in which you feel called for more. God is calling you to take a step step into that purpose of yours, into your next season. And He is waiting to use you as His vessel so that you may support the people He's assigned to you. Now, going back to Maite. Maite has lived 3 cancers, 3 cancers back to back in 5 years. She had 3 different diagnoses and treatments for cancer. If that's not walking forward without certainty, without knowing, I don't know what is. She had to take the next right step for treatment, for decisions, for mindset, for mental health, for choosing the right doctors, discerning what to do, what not to do, what to eat, what not to eat. She didn't have clarity about everything. She didn't have step 1, step 2, step 3, like everything lined up. It wasn't like back in the day that we had to print those maps in MapQuest, and it would tell us like, turn left and turn right and keep going and this light, and it would tell us everything at once. Nowadays we have GPS, and I think the GPS is more like life. As you drive forward, your path is revealed with the directions of the GPS. And I think God is a GPS. I've mentioned it in previous episodes. He, as we live in this present moment, step by step, He goes, turn left, turn right, ooh, recalculating, make a U-turn. You know, you were supposed to, you know, go back there and turn there, not here, right? When we make mistakes or when we take the wrong path. So we're constantly being guided. Mm-hmm. And if you think about driving a car, when you're driving at night and you have your lights, your headlights on, the headlights only light up 150 to 200 feet ahead. That's it. That's it. You don't know what's gonna happen in 5 minutes and how many turns there are before then and how many stop signs and lights and expressways. You don't know. You have no idea. You can only see 150 to 200 feet ahead. And if you put the high beams, then you get 350 to 500. So, you know, sometimes God gives us an idea of what's ahead with the high beams and we get to see a little more, although ultimately that can change in an instant. But many times we are living in uncertainty. Yes. And we are scared of uncertainty. We dread it. We have this illusion of control and we think that if we know step by step and we know what's happening ahead of us, then we can control it. And trust me, my friend, you can only control you. That's it. How you respond to circumstances, how you, what you do, what you say, that's it. That's all you have. Control over. The rest we get to surrender to He who had the power all along, 'cause the illusion of control is very damaging to us recovering control freaks or current control freaks. You know if you're one of those. So going back to uncertainty, it is a blessing to not know everything because life is full of surprises and good surprises, always good, 'cause all things work for the good of those who love Him. And if we knew everything, then we'd be limited for what is available to know today. And if there's something that I know for sure is that we're lifelong learners. That's why they say, "Más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo," which is a saying in Spanish that means, "The devil knows more because he's old than because he's the devil," right? Mm-hmm. So wisdom comes from experience. With time, from going through it, walking the talk, going through your journey. You cannot have the wisdom at age 5 that you have now in your 40s and your 50s because you haven't lived the experiences that are gonna earn you that wisdom. So knowing everything from the beginning doesn't serve you because then you'd only be limited to what you're— Mm-hmm. Capable of welcoming and holding in the container that is you. We are— in the measure that we grow and we expand and we reprogram our minds and we elevate our mindsets, then, then we make room. I was just in a webinar earlier today, and I was explaining that the only problem there is, is separation from God. That's the only problem. If you have financial problems, you're separated from the source of abundance. If you have relationship problems, you are separated from love. If you have illnesses or health problems, you're separated from the source of health. If you have legal issues, you're separated from the source of justice. The only problem there is, is separation. Mm-hmm. From God. So the only solution is connection. But how do you arrive at that connection? How do you achieve that wellness? And the how is expansion. We must expand. So what I was explaining to my students, my future students in this webinar, was that when God has a grace, let's say it's the grace of forgiveness, the grace of abundance, the grace of love, the grace of peace if you're feeling anxious, If He has a big grace like one of those that is the size of a truck, and the space that you have to hold that grace is the size of a drawer, can you fit it? Can you receive it? You can't. You cannot receive that which you have no space for. You are the container that holds the graces that God is ready to give you. But if you, if you're too small, you can't fit the big grace. So understanding that expansion, expanding your mindset, expanding your, your relationship with God, growing spiritually, connecting ever so deeply to the indwelling God, the Holy Spirit, learning, learning things that are going to help you grow in your personal development, all those things help us expand. Yes. We expand, and in the measure that we expand, we open up and we increase the space available to receive all the graces God has for us. So if we had all the certainty in the world and all the answers from when we're small, the size of a drawer, then can we even fit them? We can't anyway. So, This is all to prove that uncertainty is good, and that the mystery is good. I mean, you're a person of faith, you must believe in mystery. God is mysterious, and His ways are mysterious. If you don't leave room for uncertainty and mystery, you are also evading, avoiding surprises. Graces, growth, limitless possibilities, the peace that surpasses all understanding. So my point is that uncertainty is good. You should not know everything, because if you know everything, you become God. And if you become God, what good is there for a God? That's it. Thank you. Like that's it, it's over. But knowing that we are, we're small and we're great, right? Like in the grand scheme of things, we're like an itty-bitty speck in the universe, like no power whatsoever, not important, not a big deal. But when you're one with God, when you are in union with God, when you're connected, you are all-powerful. And all mysterious too, and grand. So from that knowing that we are both little and insignificant when we are away from the Source and away from the Vine, and when we are in the Vine, we are filled with life and power and possibilities, who cares if we know everything or not? We have all the power in the universe when we are one with God. Yes. We don't have any power over the things that we may know about if we're separated from Him. Makes sense? I don't know if this is resonating, but I hope you're receiving it. My point is that if you are in a place of uncertainty right now, if you don't know what's gonna happen with your life, a family member's life, your situation, maybe you're in the middle of divorce, or you're struggling in your marriage and you fear divorce, and you don't know what's gonna happen with your marriage, your relationship. Or perhaps you are in the midst of a legal case that you don't know how it's gonna turn out, and you wonder and you think and you fear and you worry. Or maybe you are about to go to college, and you have no idea where you're gonna be accepted. Or maybe it's your daughter, your son, who's going away to college, and you wonder, like, is he gonna get into UF? Is he gonna get into FSU? Or am I gonna have to pay for him or her to go somewhere else? Or you don't know, there's uncertainty. Uncertainty is where surprises are born, is where limitless possibilities become available to you. Think about it. If you know everything, that's it, it's all done. You don't have to discern, you don't have to be connected to God, you don't have to have faith, you don't have to believe, you don't have to trust, you don't have to be all the things that make you graceful and good and peaceful. You know, you just know everything. So my first invitation today is for you to shift your mindset around uncertainty. Uncertainty is not lack of power. We have the power that we have in uncertainty, in certainty, everywhere. We have power. We have the unlimited, divine, infinite power of God within us, and we only have power over ourselves. Both hands. A little, little tiny little power and a whole lot of power when we're connected, right? Mm-hmm. So we're gonna have the power that we have no matter what, whether we know or don't know. Number 2, in addition to changing your mindset about uncertainty, I would love for you to understand and consider that uncertainty equals limitless possibilities. Uncertainty is not the negative feeling of not knowing and being afraid of what's to come. Uncertainty is the possibility of anything. It's the home of limitless possibilities. It's the beginning of surprises. God is always surprising us. And when we're worried or stressed out about it, we bring that energy and then self-fulfilling prophecy. We prophesied that things could go wrong and then they do, but it's not because they were gonna get wrong. It's because we created that. So how we show up in uncertainty matters. Yeah. It creates our life. We are the producers and directors of our movie. Are we going to co-create and co-produce our movie with God as one and trust every step of the way? Or are we going to dwell and wallow in the fear that oftentimes comes with uncertainty? So step 1, we're going to embrace and welcome uncertainty. Mm-hmm. Step 2, we're going to reframe it as not something negative, but the beginning of the rest of your life, the limitless possibilities, the surprises. And step 3, we're going to stay in the present moment and we're gonna walk forward and trust that as we walk, the path appears. What does that mean for you, my friend? Mm-hmm. What place are you in? What season are you in, in your life that you're wanting to run and rush and know? Like, where are you at? Now take a moment to consider where do you desire to go? So you're here. Let's say, let's put the example of my daughter is gonna be a senior next year and she's going to college. So I'm in that journey of— So you're in that journey of— supporting her into getting into the college that she desires to go to, which is UF. So right now, do I know if UF is gonna accept her? I don't know. I'm hoping for it. Do I know if, you know, how many they're gonna get? And I don't know anything. I don't know anything about whether or not she's gonna get in there. But I can take steps. I can set the intention that I will leave no stone unturned stone left unturned in supporting and showing up for my daughter. If I need to hire a college counselor, I will hire a college counselor. If I need to encourage her to believe and build belief and trust that she's capable and worthy and deserves to get into a college, I am going to help her with her mindset. If it takes me supporting her with tutoring for the ACT, SAT, I'm going to invest in that. Mm-hmm. Whatever I can do to support her, I am going to do. And all of those are steps. First, I hired a tutor to help her with math, and then she started taking the ACTs and did really well, but she needed help in English. So then I hired a different company to help her with English, and that supported her, and she did better in English. She wanted some support with the essay, so I'm gonna help her with that. Every step of the way, We went to visit colleges. All those were little steps, little steps. And those steps showed up, they appeared. I have no idea what I'm doing. This is my first daughter going to college, no idea. And it's so complicated nowadays. It used to be like that it was just fill out an application and send the transcript and that's it, write a personal statement. Now it's so hard. I'm learning as I go. Yeah., but am I gonna freak out because I don't know all the things? No. I'm gonna take one step at a time. And as I see my daughter evolve, I see what her needs are, and I see the path showing up. I just spoke to a college counselor. I didn't know this college counselor when I first started supporting her. No idea she existed. No idea that was a thing. But a few weeks ago, I'm in a basketball game, and this person volunteers this information, I call the person, I'm like, "Oh my gosh, that would be incredible support." So if I knew all the steps, but I didn't have the information that I have acquired as the path has appeared, I would have made a whole lot of decisions that were not gonna serve my daughter 'cause I can't predict the future. So not knowing is a blessing because it helps us stay in the present moment. And my friend, God is only in the present moment. God is not in the past, and God is not in the future. You know why? Because they do not exist. It is an illusion. The past is an illusion. The future is an illusion. Think about it. Can you turn off the light yesterday? Go right now. Go turn off the light yesterday. You cannot, because yesterday does not exist. Yesterday was today and now. Yes. When it was happening. What about tomorrow? Go turn off the light tomorrow. Go, go turn off the light tomorrow. You can't, because tomorrow is also an illusion. Now is all there is. And because now is all there is, now is where God lives. God doesn't live in the past, God doesn't live in the future, because they don't even exist. So are you going to live in the illusion of the past? Are you going to live in the illusion of the future and the uncertainty and the fear of what's going to happen next? Or are you going to stay present? You are safe right here, right now. Take a moment to reflect. Right now, do you have a roof over your head? Do you have food on the table? Do you have clothes to to wear. Are you safe? You are okay, my friend. You are okay. I know, I know it's scary because you have that deadline and you have that bill and you have the threat that if this, then that. I know, I know it's hard, but those are illusions because they live in the future. Wayne Dyer used to say, The only thing that's real is that which never changes. Tell me about your body, your health. Is your body real? Does your body never change? Right? Like this illness that you have, has it always been this way? Or even the health that you're enjoying, has it always been this way? What about your emotions? Like this anxiety, this fear, this stress, this overwhelm, Have you always, always felt it, or has it changed? It's changed. The body, the emotions, the thoughts, these ruminating thoughts that are driving you crazy and that you don't know if it's going to happen, if it would— have they ever changed, or has it always been this way? Only that which never changes is real. And I know this is confusing and very, very deep spiritually speaking, So I'm gonna give it to you in rice and beans, like I like to put— I like to simplify things and make them chewable. I would say instead of only that which never changes is real, I would say only that which never changes is permanent, significant, important. Right, 'cause sometimes it's hard to say like, "What do you mean it's not real? It's real. I know it's real. I just saw it with my own eyes." Since it's hard to understand and grasp sometimes, then I'm gonna change it to, "Only that which never changes is permanent, it's significant." Your body changes every day. Your emotions change. Your thoughts change. The things you wear change, like the circumstances change, the way you feel about something changes, your perspective changes. None of it is real, none of it is permanent, none of it is eternal, none of it is significant. But your heart, your soul, the essence that God created to His image and likeness, That deeper version of you, that center that is indwelling and one with God, that never changes, my friend. That is pure love. And that is what matters. That is what's significant. So knowing all the things that are not even eternal or permanent or significant, does that really matter? Now, what are you doing in the present moment? With those circumstances? Are you connecting with the indwelling God? Are you connecting with your essence that is permanent and real and eternal? Are you? Or are you giving away your power to uncertainty? My invitation today is that you reflect on what has the role of mystery and uncertainty played in your life? When you're going through hardship, when you don't have answers, when you're having to make an important decision that could impact the rest of your life or a family member's life, do you stay in this present moment and invite the Holy Spirit in to help you discern and help you see your next step? Do you take a step as He guides you to? Yes. Trusting and knowing that as you walk, the path appears? Or are you stuck? Are you scared? Are you paralyzed? Are you content? Are you settled? Are you experiencing fear of failure, therefore you do nothing? Are you sinning of omission? As you walk, the path appears. The path doesn't appear if you're not taking steps. The path doesn't appear if you're thinking about it. We do that a lot. We dwell and wallow on what my friend Caro calls thinking energy, which is paralyzing energy. Like, oh, let me think about— We don't know how something's gonna work until we start doing it. And then we figure it out. As you walk, the path appears, said my dear student and friend, Maite. And I want to share that message with you today. Take the next step. And if you don't know what that step is, pray about it. Pray for discernment. And go to the episode where I talk about decision-making to help you through that process. I think it's episode number 36. And if the process that you're in is discerning what God is calling you to do next, if you feel that He is asking you to step into your purpose, He's calling you to more, life is good, you've done really well, my friend, but now well is not good enough. And you know it, you know it in your heart 'cause you hear it, you feel it, it like moves your emotions. You're feeling it right now. If you feel God is calling you to more, then I want to invite you to a next step. And that next step is the Faith-Based Coaching Academy. I want to invite you to come to this formation and psycho-spiritual life coach certification where you will be transformed as you learn how to transform others. If you feel God is calling you to help others and it's your passion, it's what you know you're meant to do and be, and you've done it, you've done it with your family members, with your kids, with your loved ones, maybe in your ministry, You've done it, but now, now your formation is not strong enough. You're not equipped enough to continue helping to the level, in the level of excellence that you're being called to. And I know how to do that for you. So if your next step is to fulfill the purpose of helping others while being competent, confident, and well-equipped, and— Yes. In the process becoming a better version of yourself, I got you. Go to talktobetsy.com and fill out a couple questions there, and then that'll lead you to my calendar if you qualify, if you're ready. If you're not ready, then continue listening to these podcasts. I am giving you a lot of goodness here to prepare you, to equip you for when it's time to take the step and to say yes. Say yes to your purpose. Say yes to— Yes. Say yes to that essence that is permanent and is real and is eternal and lives within you, but that you have not allowed for it to take over your life. Because when it does, my friend, you're going to be the happiest person on earth, and you're going to know the peace that surpasses all understanding. In the meantime, embrace uncertainty. Welcome it into your life. Dance in the mystery and then reframe it as the home of limitless, infinite possibilities for your life, the place where surprises are born and allowed and where growth takes place. And lastly, remember to stay in the present moment. That's all there is, the now. And I always tell my students that the present has like 3 important definitions. When you receive the present of being present in the present moment, life is ecstatic. And present is a gift. So you receive the gift, the present of being present. Being present refers to us being fully here, engaged, paying attention, like using all of our senses to indulge in this beautiful moment that God has gifted us. And then present moment is the now. So enjoy the present of being present in the present moment so that you may also dance in the mystery and the uncertainty and rejoice in it. Because if you don't know something, that means you're only gonna get wiser. I hope this blesses you. And if you know of anybody who's going through uncertainty or a hardship that they don't know how it's gonna end, send them this episode and bless them with the opportunity of knowing that it is in this moment of mystery and uncertainty that God is the closest to them, and they get to open up and welcome all the possibilities that are available to them. And if you are ready to take your next step of living your purpose and becoming the person God created you to be, go to talktobetsy.com and allow me— Tak. To give you a free Faith Life audit, which will help us discern if you are ready for this next step. I love you. Have a beautiful day. Bye. Bye.