Trusting the Transition: When the Next Step Feels Uncertain but Right

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About the episode:

In my work, I have found that it is particularly hard for empathpreneurs to embrace change, to close their businesses, to open new ones, to chart new courses in their careers, to change directions, to end business partnerships, and more. So I wanted to record this episode on embracing change because I think so many of us are in a period of change right now—which as a heart-centered entrepreneur isn’t always easy because we are emotionally invested and care so deeply. But it’s okay to allow our businesses and ideas to evolve as we do. Listen in to learn how to trust yourself in order to lean into transition with more confidence.

Topics discussed:

• How to embrace the part of ourselves that is afraid while also nurturing the part of us that feels excited for change
• Discerning the difference between our inner resistance to change and our intuitive inner knowing and then allowing ourselves to sit in the liminal space
• How to overcome fear and the sense of doubt to reframe that uncertainty and actually move forward
• Being mindful of our people pleasing and our need for external validation as empaths because they create resistance to change
• Practices you can use to trust your transition and lean into it with ease and grace

Episode Resources:

• Yung Pueblo

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[expand title=”Click here for a raw, unedited transcript of this episode“]

Catherine A. Wood  00:02

Hello, hello. Welcome back to the podcast. Cat here, I wanted to record today’s episode about this idea of embracing change as an empathpreneur. Now, I don’t know about you, but I find that it is particularly hard for empathpreneurs to embrace change, to close their businesses, to open new ones, to chart new courses in their careers, to change directions, to end business partnerships, like truly, all seasons and types of change. And I actually noticed so many people in my world right now are in that season of change. Just now I was re checking my email, and I came upon this online entrepreneur who I used to follow many years ago, and I just realized that I hadn’t received a newsletter from her for gosh, probably well over the past year and a half, and out of the blue, I just received a newsletter from her in my inbox that she had moved back to the states and then again, moved overseas to Puerto Rico. She had closed down her old business and opened an entirely new one, and she wanted to share what she was up to. And I think that makes a lot of sense, because so many of us right now are in that period of change, that transition, and how do we allow ourselves to trust that transition and to embrace change now, I think It’s hard for empathpreneurs to embrace change, in particular because of how heart centered and purpose driven our businesses are. Because if you think back to when you started your business in the first place, if you’re anything like me, you really wanted to make a difference. You wanted to help people. You saw a problem that you felt you had a unique solution for, and you likely cared deeply and still do about the clients or communities that you wanted to help and serve, and all of those reasons are likely still true. I heard this quote recently by young pueblo. He said, empaths find it hard to embrace change, because every transition feels like an emotional labyrinth where they must first find themselves before they can move forward. Oof that lands so hard for me. I think that with many of my clients, the more emotionally invested we feel, the harder it can be to evolve past those relationships and businesses and commitments and attachments that we very naturally create. I think it’s one of the gifts that we have in business, is that we create such deep and intimate relationships so quickly. But we have to allow our businesses and our ideas to evolve as we do now. I think for that very same reason, there’s also an even bigger payoff for empathpreneurs to embrace change, because as we lean into and trust those intuitive whispers and that internal guidance, we can trust that our businesses are becoming more authentic, more authentic to who We are, as we become more authentically self expressed. I

Speaker 1  03:40

so we

Catherine A. Wood  03:50

can truly trust in that inherent value of whatever is pulling us forward in a new direction. So let’s talk about for a moment. Why is that, that experience of transition, the reality of transition, why is it so unsettling? So there’s this duality of excitement and fear that gets created when we’re embracing change and in reality, we don’t necessarily distinguish in our bodies the difference between excitement or fear, so we have to you, We have to learn how to embrace both. It’s incredibly normal that we would feel afraid of charting a new course in our business or in our career, and we have to learn to take care of the part of ourself that is afraid, but also allow the excitement of something new to evolve and grow and inspire us forward as we step into the unknown. In reality, empaths experience change a lot more intensely than others. So I think that that makes sense, that we would feel that fear ours and other people’s more intensely, and we’re also prone to over analyzing outcomes. So our predisposition to be high achievers, to be highly ambitious, would likely cause us To be over analyzing and Over assessing and really you it. There’s a statement I often use with clients that we experience analysis paralysis, this idea that if we just analyze all the possible outcomes, the what ifs, the what could happens, that we will reach a place of certain certainty or clarity. But the reality is, is that certainty does not exist. I talk about this idea a lot, that for so many of us, we crave clarity, and we think that if we just wait, or if we assess long enough, that clarity will arrive right that will reach that point of clarity, and then we can chart a new course, then we can make a decision. But in reality, we have to decide, first, we have to move forward down whatever path we choose, and then we gain that clarity through our willingness to act that can be really confronting for empathic entrepreneurs, but that I but the reality is that we gain clarity. But the reality is that we gain clarity and we gain more confidence in our self and our ability to trust ourselves through our willingness to act without Knowing you. There’s something interesting I’ve noticed about empathpreneurs. I find that we are, in my experience, empathpreneurs often change course or niche down or sit in these liminal spaces in their careers or their businesses or lives, typically more often and for longer periods of time than other business owners, and I think that that’s for a couple of reasons. So how, do we recognize those signs that it’s time to evolve, right? So first of all, you have to start to discern the difference between this inner resistance to change, which we all have, we all experience, versus this intuitive inner. Knowing that we’re being called or propelled towards change. So some of the common signs that you might be ready for a shift, you might be ready to change or to trust that transition, is that your work or your business is starting to feel misaligned. It’s draining your energy rather than giving you energy, and it feels uninspiring. It might start to feel old or stale. You might notice that you’re starting to feel inspired or drawn to a new idea, a new audience to serve, or a new way of serving folks. And I think this is this is really important, because for empathpreneurs, we are naturally intuitive, which means that we have many original ideas that were highly creative, and so we likely are a bit more atypical in the businesses that we launch, or in the ways that we serve people, because they are so unique to us. So we have to sit in that liminal space and allow those intuitive whispers and nudges to propel us, to inspire us, to call us forward so those repeated intuitive nudges or synchronicities will oftentimes point us in a new direction, but we certainly need to make space. We need to create calm and peace and ease so that we hear or make so that we hear those whispers when they speak, and so that we can allow ourself to act on them. And then lastly, like when we experience that growing discomfort with staying in the same place, like just that general angst, right, or annoyance or resentment that it’s time to change, that can also be a sign that you’re ready for a shift. So maybe you’ve known that it’s time to evolve for a long time now, or maybe you’ve been trying to make a change in your business or your career for a long time now, and you know that it’s you want to make a change, and you don’t know how to do it right? You don’t know how to overcome that fear and that sense of doubt and reframe that uncertainty and actually move forward. So let’s start with reframing fear. So first of all, I think many of us, we don’t have an empowered relationship with fear, right? We experience fear and then we allow it to make us run the other direction. Now, I think this is one of the reasons I love working with entrepreneurs, in particular, because we’re more we’re predispositioned to embrace risk. We’re more practiced in embracing fear. And that is a muscle, right? Like that’s a muscle that you can grow. So think about a practice that scares you, and start embracing it. Start leaning into it, and try to embrace the journey and have fun with it. For me, that’s one of those recent practices has been taking an ice bath. So you’ll all remember that last winter, I went cold plunging in the ocean most days throughout the whole winter. Now we’ve since moved, and we’re no longer right across the street from the beach, so that’s become a little harder to do with an infant. So for Christmas this year, my husband bought me a outdoor plunge pool, which I was like, Okay, well, we’ll we’ll see how this goes. And I never thought I would be one of those people to take an ice bath like going in the ocean feels so much easier for me than sitting in a pool in my backyard, where I have to break through ice and step into it by myself, with no beautiful ocean breeze, no companionship, no slow meander into the sea like this is a like, All right, let’s step in and do it. And I noticed that with practice and with a willingness to lean in, I have found so much joy in my daily ice bath. So we really have to. To lean into those things we’re afraid of and view them as an opening for growth, and it’s a muscle embrace that it’s a muscle and that it’s something you can strengthen with time. Additionally, when you’re nervous about stepping outside of your comfort zone, it can be helpful to remind yourself that the reason it feels scary is because it’s unfamiliar. It’s unfamiliar because it is currently outside of your comfort zone. So by definition, it would feel uncomfortable or unfamiliar, but it is just that it’s unfamiliar. It’s not because you’re incapable. You are simply unpracticed. So learning how to take micro movements, micro actions forward can really support you in taking small but incremental steps forward towards take taking a more drastic leap. And it can also build that confidence and that self trust. Now for empaths, it is really important to normalize that it’s gonna be hard to let go of some of those emotional attachments because of how it’s important to normalize for empaths in particular, that it’s going to be hard to change directions because of how much you care, we get so attached, we create such deep, emotional relationships with our clients, our colleagues in the communities we serve, that it’s okay it’s gonna feel hard and it’s gonna feel hard, and I think Just normalizing that and calling a spade a spade can make it that much easier. So can make it that much easier to just Embrace it right to just say, this is hard. I Okay? Finally, I think one of the common fears or points of resistance that empaths have to overcome when they are leaning into that fear and doubt is that we have to let go of our people pleasing tendencies and external validation, because I and then finally, for empaths, we have to be mindful of our people pleasing tendencies and our need for external validation. I can recall when I was making that transition from my day job into my business. I kept telling my partner that I was ready to to submit my resignation letter. I was ready to quit like I was ready to jump into business full time and wait. Haley, I want to stop this. I want to delete this last part. And then finally, for empaths, we have to be mindful of our people pleasing tendencies and our need for external validation, because that can be a really large point of fear and resistance that we need to overcome in order to embrace change. The reality is that the. The reality is, is that we can often doubt or mistrust our own internal compass because of how atypical our ideas sound, How atypical our internal guidance is and those people pleasing tendencies, those tendencies to be similar or to go along with the status quo, right? Like our loved ones want us to want us to be safe. They want us to be protected. So they’re naturally going to Voice those concerns or that you it, they’ll naturally voice their concerns. But once we can let go of that need for external validation or approval or even external permission, and show up to our loved ones with certainty and excitement and joy for our ideas and inspirations, it will create that encouragement and that support that we’ve been seeking, Not surprisingly, Right? So you so I want to leave you all with some practices to not only navigate the emotional angst that transitions often bring up for us, but also some tactical ways in which we can make space and move forward with ease and grace, how we can really embrace that next step, even when it feels uncertain, but we know it’s right. So first of all, we need to give ourselves permission to grieve the old path, we need to allow ourselves space, to honor what we’re leaving behind, to celebrate what we’re created, to celebrate what we’ve created, to really honor the WHO that we were inside the chapter of life, or the season of life that we are letting go. Once we allow ourselves that space and grace to grieve and to let go of the old path, we create more space so that we can once we allow ourselves that space and grace to grieve the old path, we can embrace patience to really allow the journey to unfold, rather than try to force or control it. Alignment is not an instant and clear path. It’s truly through our own. Own willingness to make space that we create clarity and ease, one of the ways that we can create more space for that clarity and ease is to set some real clear boundaries so that we can protect our own energy from those naysayers who may want to project their fears onto us or try to tell us what to do, because they’ve been doing that for a long time. So be really intentional and purposeful around who you seek advice, who You share and entrust your ideas and you’re creative. You one of the best ways that you can embrace your own boundaries is to be really selective around who you choose, to share your new ideas, your intuition with, so that you’re ensuring be really intentional around who you choose to share your new ideas with. If there’s someone in your life who is always shutting you down or trying to tell you what to do or projecting their own negativity or fear or criticisms on you, I’m going to start that over again. Boundary setting is so crucial when you’re navigating transitions, it’s one of the most important ways you can protect your own energy. Is to be really clear around who you want to share your new ideas, or who you want to share your new idea With, or who you want to entrust your intuition to you. So when that next step is feeling so right and yet still feels uncertain. Here’s how here are some of my favorite ways that you can move forward with ease, make more space. One of my favorite definitions of clutter, clutter is the physical manifestation of chaos in your mind. I don’t know who said that. So set some time and clear out your office or your room, or empty your phone of all of The Oh my gosh. This is not it. Kaylee, I so when that next step is feeling uncertain, but right for you, here are some of my favorite practices, to really trust that transition and lean into it with ease and grace. The first one is to take back your own self permission. You do not need external proof to validate your path. So check yourself when you notice yourself sharing your ideas with trusted advisors or friends or family members wanting their validation to for you to make that change right? Like this is about your own self permission, rather than someone else granting it to you. So I. Prioritize the habits and the rituals that create a joyful state for yourself, prioritize your creative pursuits. It’s truly through those joyful and creative pursuits that we reconnect with our inspiration and our intuition. It’s truly by making space for it. Stretch your comfort zone, like I said before, think about what practice you can take on to really play and stretch your edge around fear and risk and what you’re currently resisting that you might be able to lean into or have some fun with, whether that’s an ice bath or something else, I would love to hear what you try spend more time with yourself in nature, whether it’s going for hikes or if I’m going to do that part again. Hayley, so when that next step is feeling uncertain, but you know it’s right, here are some of my favorite practices to really trust the transition. First of all, make more space. One of my favorite definitions of clutter. Clutter is the physical manifestation of chaos in your mind. So whether that’s making space in your environment, in your office, energetically with who you spend time with, or who you extend and spend your energy to remove like okay again. So when that next step in your career or your business is feeling uncertain, but you know it’s right. Here are some of my favorite ways to trust that transition and to embrace change with a bit more grace and ease. Prioritize your joy and your creative pursuits. It’s truly when we prioritize the actions and activities that fill us up, that we make more space for that excitement, and we discern the difference between that excitement and fear, one of my favorite practices around oh my gosh, this is not working. I up. So when that next step is feeling uncertain, but you know it’s right in your business or your career, here are some practices to support you in embracing change and trusting that transition, and it starts with the power of self permission. Start checking yourself when you notice yourself, sharing what you’re up to or what you want to be up to with friends and family members looking for their permission to validate your path and to validate the decision that you are resisting, normalize the fact that You do not need to see the whole path, or have the full road map of where you’re going in order to trust and embrace and take the very next step, because it’s truly that willingness to act that you generate further clarity around the path beyond that first action, make more space for yourself, remove the clutter, one of my favorite definitions of clutter, the physical manifestation of chaos in your mind. So whether you need to make space in your environment or with your emotions or who you’re extending your energy and your time to, it will. Support you in discerning those intuitive whispers and nudges prioritize regulating your nervous system. It’s truly when we feel grounded and when we’re in that easeful state that we’re more inclined to be guided by our intuition and our inspiration versus held back by our fear and resistance. Similarly, stretch your comfort zone. So many of us think that our comfort zones are static, right? That like they don’t expand, but in reality, they are elastic. They expand or contract with our own willingness to take on actions outside of them. So lean into your edge. Get more comfortable taking risks, whether it’s in a plunge pool or learning a new creative hobby, do something to stretch yourself. And the last invitation I’ll leave you with is to hone your capacity for presence. So many of us are so scared to be fully present, to allow space for our thoughts, but it’s truly through expanding our capacity to be fully present, that we make more space for our own intuition. I hope that you found this episode useful. I want to normalize that so many of us are in that season of change and transition. So wherever you find yourself on your journey, I want to remind you that you’re not alone. No, I want to take out that last piece too. Haley, you I hope that you found today’s episode useful. If you’re in a season of change or transition, know that you were in such good company. Thank you so much to for tuning in. We’ll see you next time you.

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