Cutting Through the Fog of the Unknown: In Life and in Motherhood

I froze, frightened.

The car was still moving slowly, but my mind paused momentarily.

Have you ever felt like you couldn’t continue because you were unsure of what was ahead? 

You know the direction, but it feels so far away that jumping into the unknown sends feelings plummeting through your stomach. Not butterflies, but pure fear. 

While driving home one day, I rounded a corner less than a mile from home and suddenly hit a dense, frightening patch of fog. 

The kind that comes out of nowhere.

Suddenly, you can’t see beyond ten feet in front of your headlights.

The stream of light just stops suddenly into a hazy white abyss.

The kind that even fog lights have no use.

Driving in unusual conditions is a situation I try to avoid.

With a history of panic attacks, while driving, it's a trigger that sends my heart into overdrive. 

I froze at the moment. My mind jumped to panic and the worst-case scenario. 

I feel trapped. I can’t see. How can I go on without knowing what’s in front of me?

While simultaneously…I criticized myself for how ridiculous it seemed

“It’s fog, get over it. You’ve been here a million times before.”

Seconds later, my mind jumped to catch up.

The many years of building self-awareness is something that I never ceased to be amazed by.

In moments like this, it’s what brings me back to the ground, sometimes quite literally. 

“It’s fog”

“I feel triggered by this because of past experiences”

“And here's what I know  - I’ve driven on this road many times, hundreds if not thousands, and I know that even though I can’t see past those ten feet in front of me, it will be okay.”

And as I thought about it, I thought about how this journey with entrepreneurship has been similar. 

We often don’t know what’s next.

We don’t know where the path is going, but we push forward despite the unknown. 

Sometimes we freeze. We stop because of the unknown. Some days we even want to give up and turn around.

Sometimes the fog gets dense…REALLY dense  

The fog wants us to stop. 

The fog is fear, doubt, and permission that we don’t think we have. 

But in the end, it’s just fog. 

It’s there to confuse and trick us into thinking it's a barrier. 

It's porous. 

If we choose to be brave, we can reach through the fog and see what’s on the other side. 

We don’t need permission. We just need to reach through.

Try out the thing.

Do the work.

Test the waters. 

The more we move through it, a space will be created in which the fog has cleared.

We may still be right in the middle of a valley of fog, but we’re calm, collected, and moving in the right direction. 

And eventually, that space will lead gap to the other side. 

What patches of fog have you been hitting?

Are they taking the shape of something else, elusively appearing as a solid mass?

I dare you…reach into the fog.

Don’t turn back.

Take a baby step. 

Reach in and do that ONE THING you’ve been dreading.

Or the one thing you thought impossible. 

The more you reach, the less the fog becomes.

The more you move with courage and persistence, the clearer the space.

When you’re driving up to it, take a deep breath, accept it.

Know that it is a veil rather than a wall. 

Authors note:

Please note that this webpage is not intended to treat or diagnose any medical conditions. For those suffering from panic attacks, I feel for you and recommend seeking professional help in the form of a medical professional.

Let’s Connect

What did you find most empowering after reading this?

I’d love you to share it with me via my Instagram DM’s to continue the conversation.

I’m building a community of ambitious women who support each other in pursuing our biggest, boldest dreams, and I hope you will come along for the wild ride.