I recorded this episode sitting outside at one of my favorite places in the world, a little garden oasis with fountains and the most peaceful presence of God I’ve ever felt in a space. And in the middle of all that quiet, I kept coming back to one question.

Is what you’re feeling right now discomfort?

Because if you’re listening, or reading this, I already know there’s some area of your life that feels uncomfortable. So I want you to ask yourself something. Is that discomfort telling you that you’re not meant to do this? Or is it actually proof that God is bringing you into something new?

I hear from so many of you. You’ve been praying for more. More clarity. More impact. A bigger vision for your business, your family, your calling. And then God actually starts to give it to you, and suddenly your plate feels so full that you want to run the other way.

I remember when this happened to me. I was early in business, sitting in a room full of women making six and seven figures, and I loved every second of it. It inspired me. But I remember going home afterward and telling my husband I just felt so uncomfortable. And he looked at me and said, “So you’re growing.”

I didn’t believe him at first. It didn’t feel like growth. It felt like pain.

But here’s what I’ve learned since then. That discomfort you feel, that stretch, those prayers you’ve been praying, that is so often the Lord. Isaiah 43:19 says, “See, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up. Do you not perceive it?” New things require us to leave what’s familiar. And Joshua 1:9 reminds us to be strong and courageous, not because we won’t feel afraid, but because He is with us wherever we go. The presence of fear doesn’t mean the absence of God’s calling.

Moses felt inadequate. Gideon felt insignificant. Jeremiah felt too young. Peter had to actually step out of the boat. Over and over in scripture, God calls the person who feels the least ready, and then He provides what they need. The calling comes before the confidence, not after. We think if we just felt more prepared we’d finally move. But it’s almost upside down in the kingdom. God calls first. The equipping comes as you obey.

My son came into my room the other night because his legs hurt. Growing pains. His little body is stretching, and it’s literally waking him up at night. I couldn’t help but think, what’s stretching in you right now? What’s waking you up, not because something is wrong, but because you’re growing?

So how do you know if what you’re feeling is fear or a real warning? Fear usually asks, what if I fail? A warning feels more like conviction, a quiet no that isn’t rooted in insecurity. Last year I invested in a mastermind that made total sense on paper. By every worldly standard, it was the right next move. But that night I couldn’t sleep. It didn’t feel like fear, it felt like conviction. So I pulled back, and told my coach I felt like I was supposed to slow down instead of scale. I didn’t fully understand why at the time. Looking back, I’m so grateful I listened, because that season turned out to be one of the hardest of my life, and I don’t think I could have carried both at once.

If you’re trying to figure out whether what you’re feeling is fear or discernment, ask yourself a few things. Does this align with God’s word? Have you actually prayed about it? Do you have peace underneath the fear? Is the fear about obedience, or are you ignoring something you already know? Have you sought wise counsel? Don’t let fear make a decision that was always meant for discernment.

I also want to gently push back on the difference between “I can’t” and “I’ve never.” So many of us confuse the two. When my kids ask me to do something for them, I tell them, you can do it, you just haven’t done it yet. I can show you how. The same is true for you. Maybe you’ve never led at this level. Maybe you’ve never had this many people watching, or built something this size. Unfamiliar doesn’t mean impossible. Uncomfortable doesn’t mean disobedient.

This is exactly why I’m so passionate about my book coming out this November, Expansion Syndrome. Because growth doesn’t always feel like confidence and momentum. Sometimes it feels like uncertainty, stretching, even vulnerability, and I don’t think we talk about that enough.

So let me leave you with this. Where in your life are you feeling stretched right now? Is it possible that you’re not stuck? Is it possible that you’re actually expanding?

You don’t have to feel ready for the next step. You just have to take it.

Listen to the full episode 184 here

One more thing. If you’re a founder who feels like you’re still in the weeds of your own business, we opened a few spots for our Expansion offer over at Rise this month. It’s built for exactly this season, the one where you’ve outgrown how you used to operate. And of course, keep an eye out for Expansion Syndrome this November.