Since childhood I always found myself giving: giving my toys, giving my love, giving money out of my piggy bank. That didn't change as I grew up. In periods of uncertainty, I lean into the golden rule: we reap what we sow. I have deep belief that what I've given in this lifetime will come full-circle.

People think healing looks like finding yourself. Mine looked more like a controlled demolition followed by an aggressively fabulous rebuild. Turns out clarity isn't the prerequisite for courage. It's the receipt.

What kept me grounded was reminding myself that I shouldn't be begging to sit at a table I helped build. Sometimes the hardest transitions are the ones that remind you of your own value.

What kept me going was faith and community. I knew God would hear me and I knew my community would hold me until I could understand what God was trying to say. Faith and community. In your darkest time, they are the light you need to move beyond the darkness.

I just remind myself that I have survived 100 percent of the bad times in my life, and I will do it again!

Uncertainty didn't stop me. It handed me a problem worth solving. One deception cracked open a much bigger truth: nobody online actually knows who they're talking to. Turns out the lemon was a gift. I just decided to stop waiting for someone else to make the lemonade.

I kept moving not because I had the answers, but because I believed they would find me in time. In uncertainty, choose trust over fear, holding to the conviction that clarity reveals itself after we have the courage to keep going.

When I stepped away from my career as a public school teacher to raise my children, I had no idea where that path would lead. I only knew the job was too demanding to sustain while also being fully present in my children's lives. I assumed they would be in school in a few years and I would figure it out then, not yet knowing my kids were neurodivergent. When they needed a different educational approach, we began homeschooling, and before long I was teaching other homeschoolers as well. A few years later, I opened my business; through every transition, I've been grounded by my commitment to a sustainable lifestyle centered on my own children and quality education.

Sometimes what doesn't work out for you, really works out for you. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, small steps eventually add up!

During difficult transitions, I stayed grounded by focusing on the goals I was working toward and staying clear on the steps I needed to take to move forward. Keeping my attention on what I could control helped me stay steady and motivated.

Relentless faith, holding on to my true self and trust in the journey. Understanding that in uncertain times resilience and inner strength provides depth and growth even if the desired outcome is not achieved.

I remind myself that I can do hard things because I have already done quite a few. I count my blessings and look to the love and grace that surrounds me with my chosen family, friends and mentors and to my charter school's motto of "Never Give Up".

Keeping myself grounded meant not having specific expectations or timelines without there being room for changes in and outside my control. Being grounded means to reflect and grow regardless of the outcome and the difficulties that I may face. That is what keeps me grounded.

We are wired to fight uncertainty. In uncertainty, though, is where growth happens. Questions we can use to navigate this space more patiently can be: Why do I consider this a problem? Is this a problem that will work itself out? Is this an emergency I need to handle right now? Maybe it is not about fixing but rather slowing down and doing less that is the answer.

Work hard and believe in your capabilities. Over time, the work you have done will accumulate and blossom into new opportunities. Believe without seeing, but have faith to keep the momentum going.

I've learned that not knowing the next step doesn't mean you're on the wrong path. I've found that faith doesn't always provide immediate answers, it provides the courage to keep moving forward until the answers come. Looking back, I can see that every uncertain season was preparing me for something greater.

During challenging times of uncertainty, what has helped me stay grounded are a couple of things: 1. Empathy towards self - to not judge myself because I don't have the answers and allow myself the space to test certain versions of myself that I may consider stepping into. The testing of versions reduces the stress. 2. Deeply feeling gratitude for different things in my life starting with my mobility, seeing and hearing, sensing abilities. The loving family members and kindness of others.

I stay grounded by focusing on what I can control, leaning on people I trust around me and most importantly remembering that steady progress matters more than having all the answers.

I stayed grounded by returning to what doesn't shift: my values, my faith, and the quiet rituals that reminded me who I was becoming even when the path ahead wasn't clear. In every uncertain season, I learned that steadiness isn't found in answers but in intentional presence and self‑trust.

During my military transition, I reminded myself that my identity wasn't tied to my uniform or rank. My skills, values, and experience came with me. I just needed to learn how to translate them into the civilian workforce and build my personal brand.

History has taught me that every legacy is built one intentional step at a time. During uncertain seasons, I stayed grounded by choosing purpose over panic and faith over fear.

Some of the most meaningful transitions in my life came without a roadmap. I've learned that strength and wisdom are often shaped by navigating uncertainty, and that perspective helped me learn to trust my values, take the best next step, and allow clarity to unfold along the way.

I stopped asking for clarity and started asking for courage. Each step forward revealed just enough to take the next one. I found that clarity met me on the other side of courage.

Times of uncertainty are inevitable in business. When those situations occur, I always ask myself first do I remain aligned with the mission and vision of the organization, and second what strategic decisions or steps can I take to continue to propel the organization forward while staying in alignment with the mission and vision. These have served me well in continuing to lead my teams through periods of uncertainty.

Between stepping into leadership, navigating perimenopause, turning 50, and watching my daughter start high school, I've learned that uncertainty is easier to manage when I focus on what I can control. I simply ask myself, 'What's the next best step?', then take it and celebrate the progress, however small.