Hi Friends,

​Last week I wrote about that feeling of overwhelming fear and paralysis I felt when attempting to cross an elevated ropes course. Just 10 feet off the ground, strapped in to a safety harness and tethered to the raised ropes above the course, I was objectively in a safer situation than jumping out of a plane at 14000 feet. YET, the fear I felt inside nearly paralyzed me from taking the next step onto the rope bridge.

Why is that? Why is it that, sometimes, making forward progress can seem so impossible? When I reflect on that rope bridge experience, I recognize fear as the factor that was almost physically holding me back. But there have been other times when I was just as resistant to taking the next step, and fear wasn’t the overwhelming cause.

I want to talk today about two other mental states that prevent us from taking action, and can be just as obstructive to accomplishing your purpose as fear. One is uncertainty, and the other is hesitancy. On the surface, these two might seem related, because both uncertainty and hesitancy result in delayed action. But the underlying cause of each is quite different.

Uncertainty

Uncertainty is a state of not knowing. One that results from a lack of clarity about direction or outcome. It occurs when we feel we are missing information about the expected outcome of a given action. We have all been there at one time or another. “Am I making the right decision?” “Is this the right time?” “What if this doesn’t work out?” Uncertainty causes paralysis subtly. We delay action, sometimes in an attempt to gather more information. “Let me look this up.” “I think I’ll just ask my friend for their opinion.” And sometimes, we delay action because we hope the situation will just resolve itself [*raises hand*].

Hesitancy

Hesitancy, on the other hand, occurs when we have clarity about the next step, but we still are reluctant to move forward. We have the direction, we have the means to do it. We just don’t want to. Now, hesitancy doesn’t mean being obstinate, like a toddler who doesn’t want to eat their vegetables. You may have a legitimate desire to do something other than what you are being asked to do. Yet, you have clarity that the instruction you have received is one you should follow.

I remember one instance earlier this year when I was blessed to receive a small surplus in my budget. I’d already made plans to save, but then in my quiet time, I was instructed to give the entire amount to my church. So…God and I had a negotiation. Let’s just say, God won.

For example, you get that urge to go up and speak to someone at an event…but you’re not sure how you will be received, so you feel that nervousness rise in your chest. Taking action in the face of fear, hesitancy and uncertainty may spark a conversation and connection that could change the trajectory of your day, your week or even your career.

So the next time you feel that sense of paralysis, of not wanting to take action, stop for a moment and think about what is causing you to pause.

I can’t and won't tell you what to do in that situation. But what I will tell you is this. Once you have examined the examinable, once you have confirmed the instruction or direction, once you have seen a glimpse of your purpose on the other side of your decision to act, take action.

Remember, courage is action in spite of fear. Don’t let paralysis stop you from realizing your purpose.

Until next time…

Stephanie G. Vanterpool, MD, MBA 🦋
​Physician • Educator • Researcher • Writer
​Founder, Blueprints & Butterflies

P.S. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Every reflection continues as a conversation on Substack.

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