Courage for the Unfamiliar: Stepping Boldly into What's Next

Well, hello, my valued listeners, and welcome back to another episode of Living in Your Power. I'm your host, Dr. Marlene Greenleaf, and as always, you know I am truly grateful that you have chosen to spend this time with me today. Now, as we continue our August series, Moving with Intention. Purposeful steps into what's next. We've been exploring what it means to move forward without needing the whole map, to move at the pace of peace, and most recently, to recognize what can happen when preparation meets opportunity. But sometimes that opportunity leads us somewhere unfamiliar. It could be a new room, a new responsibility, a new relationship, a new position, maybe a new season, a new version of ourselves. And suddenly the excitement we felt about moving forward meets something else— uncertainty. So today, today we're talking about what it means to keep moving forward when the next step takes us beyond what's familiar. Today's episode, the 4th in our August series, is aptly titled Courage for the Unfamiliar. So let's dive in. When a new thing feels uncomfortable, Now, we often say we want something new—a new opportunity, a new beginning, a new level of growth, a fresh start. I say that every single day. I wake up every morning, and I think of it as a fresh start, a new opportunity. But but here's the part we don't always talk about: new. Can be uncomfortable at times. And that's because new means we don't have history to rely on. We don't know exactly how things will unfold. We may not know the people in the room, or we may not understand all the expectations. And sometimes we're learning while we're leading. That's when those familiar questions can begin. What if I'm not ready? What if I made a mistake? What if everyone else knows more than I do? What if I don't belong here? Now, and if we're not careful, we'll interpret discomfort as a sign that we're in the wrong place. But discomfort, my dear listeners, and misalignment—they're not always the same thing. Sometimes you're uncomfortable because you're growing, and that happens. We don't stay stagnant; we do grow. I mean, sometimes you're nervous because this matters. Sometimes you feel stretched because the capacity you've been developing is finally being called upon. Mm-hmm. So think about it. We cannot ask God for expansion and then expect everything about the expanded space to feel familiar. At some point, at some point, growth takes us somewhere we haven't been before. And when it does, courage becomes necessary. Courage is rooted in God's presence. Here is our Bible verse for this. It's taken from Joshua 1:9. It's the New King James Version. It says, Have not I commanded thee, be strong and of good courage? Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God Is with thee, whithersoever thou goest. Now I love this scripture because God doesn't tell Joshua that there's nothing to be concerned about. Joshua is stepping into enormous responsibilities. I mean, he's entering unfamiliar territory. He's assuming leadership after Moses, and there are real challenges ahead. Yet God's instruction is, be strong, be courageous, do not be afraid. Now why? Not because Joshua knows exactly what will happen, not because he has mastered every challenge ahead, and not because everything will be easy. No, but because The Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. That's the foundation of the courage— presence, God's presence. Joshua didn't need certainty about everything ahead. He needed confidence about who was going with him. And perhaps That's a word for someone listening today, myself included. I mean, maybe you've been asking, am I ready for this? Perhaps another question is, do I trust God to be with me in this? Because your courage doesn't have to come from knowing everything. It can come from knowing you are not walking into the unfamiliar alone. Now, sometimes we assume confident people aren't afraid. No, I have learned that confidence often develops after we've done the unfamiliar thing a few times. Not, not just once, a few times. So think, think about your first day in a new position, your very first presentation, or your, your very first time leading a meeting. Your first time walking into a room where you didn't know anyone. Your first time doing something you once thought was beyond you. I mean, were you completely confident? Probably not. But you did it. And then you did it again. And eventually, something that once felt unfamiliar became something you knew how to navigate. That's why I believe courage often comes before confidence. Courage says, I don't know exactly how this will go, but I'm willing to begin. Then experience teaches us that we learn, we adjust, we ask questions, we make mistakes, and we grow. And slowly, Slowly, confidence catches up. So don't wait until you feel completely confident before you move. I mean, you may be waiting for a feeling that can only develop through experience. And there's another part of courage we sometimes overlook, and that is that courage is not pretending you know what you don't know. Sometimes courage sounds like, can you explain that to me, please? I've never done this before, and I need some time to think about that. So would you show me how this works? There is strength in being teachable, and there is confidence in being willing to learn. You don't have to enter a new room pretending you've already mastered it. No, You can enter knowing that you belong there and that you still have something to learn. Those 2 truths, those 2 truths can exist together, and they do exist together. So let's return back to today's scripture. It says to be strong and of a good courage, for the Lord thy God is with thee. Whithersoever thou goest. Whithersoever, wherever. Into the familiar, into the unfamiliar, into the opportunity, into the transition, into the room you've never entered before. Listen, God's presence doesn't end at the edge of your comfort zone, and maybe that's exactly where you need to remember it most. So here's your empowerment prompts for this week. Take a few moments this week and reflect on these. Ask yourself, where in life currently— where is life currently asking me to step beyond what feels familiar? Have I mistaken discomfort for a sign that I don't belong? Am I waiting to feel completely confident before I take action? What could I learn if I allowed myself to be a beginner in this season? And how would I move differently if I truly believed God was already present in the place I'm afraid to enter? I'm going to repeat those again for you. Reflect on these. Where in life— where is life currently asking me to step beyond what feels familiar? Have I mistaken discomfort for a sign that I don't belong? Am I waiting to feel completely confident before I take action? What could I learn if I allowed myself to be a beginner In this season? How would I move differently if I truly believe God was already present in the place I'm afraid to enter? And, and here's one more question for you: what if unfamiliar doesn't mean unprepared? I want you to sit with that, because sometimes we dismiss everything we've learned simply because we've never used it in this particular setting before, but your wisdom comes with you. I mean, your experience comes with you, your faith comes with you, your preparation comes with you, and most importantly, God goes with you. So in closing, dear listeners, I want you to Understand that the unfamiliar doesn't have to become your enemy. Sometimes the unfamiliar is simply evidence that you are moving, growing, expanding, and becoming. I mean, you won't always feel confident when you enter a new season. That's a fact. But that's okay. Bring your courage. Bring your willingness to learn. Bring everything the previous, previous seasons have taught you and trust God with the rest. Remember, you don't have to feel fearless to move courageously. You simply have to decide that fear will not make the decision for you. So take the step. Enter the room. Ask the question. And accept the opportunity. Learn what you need to learn and allow yourself to grow into the space you've been given. So again, I thank you for joining me for episode 4 of our August series, Moving with Intention: Purposeful Steps into What's Next. Next week We will close our August journey with trust what you're becoming, because after all this intentional movement, perhaps the greatest lesson isn't simply about where we're going, but it's about recognizing who we are becoming along the way. So until next time, dear listeners, I want you to Live boldly in your power today, and if it gets tough, just breathe. You still got the strength to rise. So until next time, I want you to keep growing, keep expanding, keep becoming, and continue to live in your power.