Empowered in the Unknown

They say when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.
But that only works if you remember you’ve got hands. That you can move. That you still have choice — even when the path ahead feels blurry.

I’ve come to realize something, through both business and life:
No one really knows what they’re doing. We’re all figuring it out.
There’s no map. Just a series of steps, decisions, and adjustments.
Some people have foresight, some don’t — and that’s okay. We all move at our own rhythm.

What matters is this:
Even in the face of the unknown, I can still be settled inside.
I can choose based on what I know now — and let that be enough.
If tomorrow brings surprises, it doesn’t mean I failed today.
It just means tomorrow is asking for something new.
A new step. A new choice. A new adjustment.

That, to me, is empowerment.
Not having everything figured out, but being honest with where I’m at,
Trusting myself in this moment, and moving forward from here.

It’s not about being certain.
It’s about being with myself — present, grounded, and open.

Playing With My Default Go-To

Today I learned something that didn’t come from a book or a quote — it came from knowing myself, with Irene’s help. I learned that I have a natural loving tendency and a fast-paced mind, likely tied to my ADHD traits. That’s not a contradiction. It’s just… me.

I used to think that taking my nature into account when making decisions was a constraint. Like I was adding more steps, slowing myself down, being less efficient. But now I’m starting to see it differently: maybe it's not about slowing down — maybe it's about choosing well so I don’t spin in circles.

For example:

• I know I thrive on spontaneity and randomness.

• I also know I don’t cope well with overwhelm and anxiety.

These aren't flaws — they’re facts. Like gravity. Like how metal reacts to acid. My default go-to is a real force — and pretending it’s not there doesn’t make it disappear. If I want to work with myself instead of against myself, I have a choice:

• I can treat these tendencies as constraints, things to overcome so I can chase some idea of who I think I should be.

• Or I can acknowledge, accept, and even bank into them — design my approach with them in mind. That might actually boost my wellbeing, not weigh it down.

And maybe, just maybe… that’s not slower at all. Maybe I’ve been “powering through” for years, and it hasn’t made me any more productive — just more stubborn, more reactive, more drained. Have I even looked at the results of that method honestly?

What if this self-knowledge — this gentle, grounded kind — is the very thing that lets me play better, create better, live better?

Because when I trust that I know myself well enough to make decisions that work for me… that’s when I get to bring my full self to the table.

And that’s when I really get to play.

Reframing is not a bandage

Let’s be honest — I’ve doubted the whole "reframe it" thing before.

Sometimes when I hear a reframe, even from my therapist and friends, I find myself thinking:
"Is this just a clever way to spin things so I feel better in the moment?"

There’s a part of me that resists — that believes it can’t be that simple. That it’s too good to be true. Just change how I think about it? Just tell a better story? That can’t really shift anything… right?

But here’s what I’m learning:

Reframing isn’t a spin. It’s not a bandage.
It’s not about glossing over pain or slapping on a positive thought.

Reframing — real reframing — is choosing a different intention, a different internal posture, a different relationship to what’s happening.

It’s a physical, emotional, and mental shift.
It’s a change in the energy I carry, the motivation I follow, and the presence I bring.

And let’s be real — it’s not easy.

Choosing to reframe doesn’t mean the problem disappears.
It means I meet it differently.
With more compassion.
With more clarity.
With more trust in the part of me that gets to choose again — even if I’ve been here before.

And yes, it takes effort.
It takes practice.
Because I’m not just repeating affirmations — I’m building a new way of relating to myself.

That’s the work. That’s the shift.
And it’s not a shortcut.
It’s the path.