What we plan for isn’t always what unfolds, and sometimes, the unexpected has more to teach us than the plan ever could.
I recently had to face that truth. And I think I’m okay with it. Maybe even more than okay.
A few months ago, I had the opportunity to step onto the TEDx stage to share a message that’s been close to my heart for a long time: how curiosity can help us move beyond assumptions, especially in moments of tension, difference, and uncertainty.
In a world that often demands quick answers and clean narratives, I still believe curiosity is one of our most underused superpowers. It asks us to pause and wonder:
What else might be true?
And in that pause, something shifts.
So when the talk was released and it didn’t quite land how I’d imagined. I’ll be real, I had some feelings.
I’m still sitting with some of those feelings. And that’s okay.
But as I sat, curiosity came knocking on my door again.
It reminded me to take a step back.
To reconnect with the heart of what I came to share.
To ask myself what really matters in moments like this.
And to keep showing up, even when things unfold differently than expected.
That, too, is becoming part of the story.
As a coach, I often remind clients that growth doesn’t come from controlling every outcome, it comes from being willing to stay present with what’s real. And in moments like this, I have to take my own advice. We are our first clients, after all.
So trust me when I say: the internal work is real. Sitting with discomfort, choosing reflection over retreat, and finding your way back to curiosity? It’s not easy. But it’s where the good stuff lives.
A few things I’m still learning (in real-time)
Curiosity can carry you further than control.
No amount of planning can guarantee the outcome, but curiosity helps you stay in the process. It grounds you in the present. It reminds you to ask: What still matters here?
Showing up matters more than showing off.
Leadership doesn’t always come dressed in polish and applause. Sometimes it looks like telling the truth, staying open, and letting your message live, no matter the format.
Resilience isn’t about bouncing back.
It’s about staying open when the outcome is uncertain. It’s about learning how to sit in the mess and still trust that the moment has something to offer.
Humility opens doors that ego can’t.
As a coach and someone always doing the inner work, I’ve learned that leadership isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about showing up with honesty, especially when the message is still unfolding.
Humility keeps us open, curious, and connected when things don’t go as planned. That kind of openness? It creates space for real growth and deeper impact, things ego alone could never deliver.
To the TEDx Adams Morgan team: thank you. It was an honor to be part of this experience, and I’m grateful to everyone who helped bring it to life.
If you decide to watch the talk, I recommend turning on the transcripts for the best experience. The message is there, and I hope it invites reflection, conversation, and a little more curiosity in your day.
And if you know anything about me… you already know I’m planning for round two.
Yes, Lessons in Resilience and Humility might just be the next talk – half joke, half roadmap, fully real.
(Said with a laugh and a nod to the unexpected twists that make life interesting… because folx, that story is still writing itself.)
It’s the kind of moment that reminds me I’m not alone in this.
We’ve all had to navigate uncertainty, shift gears, and find meaning in the unexpected.
So I’m curious:
What helps you keep showing up when the outcome is uncertain? Are there strategies, mindsets, or moments that guide you forward?
#TEDx #Curiosity #Leadership #Perspective #LifeLessons #Resilience #Visibility #Humility