Excitement or Anxiety? The Thin Line We’re All Walking
Something is stirring inside us, and it’s not just personal—it’s collective.
Lately, I’ve noticed a distinct pattern, both within myself and in the people I work with. We are flipping between excitement and anxiety, like standing on a seesaw, uncertain which way it will tip. One moment, we feel the pull of something new—possibility, expansion, even joy. The next, our nervous system tightens, old fears resurface, and we hesitate.
It’s not just you. It’s not just me. It’s something bigger.
And because it’s collective, there are many explanations for it. Astrologers talk about planetary shifts. Energy workers feel a vibrational change. Psychologists link it to nervous system regulation and patterns of stress. Economists point to uncertainty in global markets. Each explanation carries some truth, and that’s why we latch onto them.
We love explanations because once we can name something, our minds feel safe enough to let it go. But there’s a danger here. When we become too focused on why something is happening, we fall into the illusion that if we just find the right answer, we can fix it. That if we follow THE method, adopt THE mindset, or wait for THE external shift, things will fall into place.
But what if life isn’t about fixing? What if it’s about meeting ourselves where we are, moment by moment, and learning to lead ourselves through the knitty-gritty of life?
How It Showed Up for Me: Buying a Car
For me, this push-pull showed up in something as mundane as buying a new car.
I was excited about the adventure of it—a new chapter, an upgrade, a fresh playground opening up. But right alongside that excitement was anxiety. As an entrepreneur, it was a big financial decision. There was hesitation about letting go of the familiar—my old, trusted car, my beloved navigation system that felt like home. Would the new one serve me as well? Would I regret the change?
And this is how it goes, right? We tell ourselves that our feelings are about the thing—the car, the job change, the new project, the unexpected shift. But if we look deeper, we see the pattern.
Excitement and anxiety are not opposites; they are two sides of the same coin. Both stir something deep inside us. Both bring movement, awakening. Both ask us to step beyond what we know into what we don’t know yet.
But if we’re not careful, the mind spins its stories, and we get caught in the drama of it all.
Drama is the Seducer of Old Habits
Drama has a way of pulling us into patterns we thought we’d outgrown.
When we get swept up in our emotions—whether through external explanations or personal narratives—we lose our grip on the reins. We fall back into old coping mechanisms, often the very ones that make things worse.
For some, that might mean avoidance—scrolling endlessly, numbing out, pushing decisions away. For others, it’s overthinking, trying to strategize our way out of discomfort. And for many, it’s a mix of both, an exhausting cycle of action and inaction, clarity and confusion.
But here’s what I’ve seen, in myself and in the leaders I work with: when we take the reins back, our nervous system steadies.
Not because we solved it. Not because we found the perfect answer. But because we remembered: we know how to walk through this.
Leading Ourselves Through the Messy Middle
This is what self-leadership is about—not waiting for clarity before we take action, but taking action while clarity unfolds.
Not leaning on others to give us the answers, but leaning on ourselves, trusting that even if we don’t know exactly how, we will find our way.
These are turbulent times. Individually, collectively. Our steadiness is being tested, sometimes to the limit. But instead of asking when will things settle? we need to ask:
How can I meet myself right where I am?
What do I already know to do?
Where can I take the next step, even if I don’t see the full path?
Because no matter how loud the world gets, no matter how many theories or explanations swirl around us, the truth remains:
**You are the answer you’ve been looking for.**
So take the reins. Don’t spiral into the black hole. Keep walking.
You know what to do.
About the Author
Lead True Global Leader Andrea Henning’s vision is that when people discover their authenticity and dare to follow their bliss they are happier and more successful in their lives while serving as an inspiration to their communities.
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