Life Transitions
Ready Is A Myth: Step Out Anyway
November 5, 2026
— CHRISTINE SPARACINO
I have been in a season of new opportunities presenting themselves like open doors, one after the other. First, it was hosting a creative community, then a podcast invitation, now a book series. The question becomes, “Will I walk through the door, even when I don’t feel ready?”
I have a habit of waiting until the timing feels just right, of taking my time to prepare. This has led to (over) thinking and endless time getting ready.
Perhaps you could call it stalling or over-preparation. But what is it is a defense mechanism, a way to protect myself from being seen before I feel ready.
This defense mechanism exists because when we are seen, we feel exposed, and being exposed feels threatening. Somewhere along the way in the journey of life, we were seen as not enough and it felt rejecting, even annihilating.
In present day, we prepare and prepare and wait to feel ready to avoid that familiar feeling.
We think of fear as a sign of danger, of something to be avoided. But what about when fear is misguided, when its signals are inaccurate?
What happens when we are being invited to walk through open doors, holding hands with fear?
For many years, I wanted to step forward with my career. Fueled by inspiration, I created coaching groups, and then backed away at the last hour, doubting myself. You might say I wasn’t ready in those moments. I think I was also letting fear decide for me.
After years in the shadows, I am being called into new opportunities when I do not feel ready. Instead, I feel unsteady, shaky, and unpolished.
In the last two months, I have launched a creative community, Silent Studio, appeared on a podcast (details to come soon), and prepared a book series for publication. I do not feel ready, and it would be easy to pause and decline invitations until feeling better prepared. And yet, I suspect that I would be getting in my own way.
When I was invited to be a guest on a podcast, at first, I thought the email was spam, and I debated not responding. But then, quietly and gently, it was as if fear was nudging me. “You can do this.”
What happens when opportunities appear before you are ready? Can you step out even when you’re feeling afraid?
When the day came to record the interview, my hands shook, and I’m pretty sure that my voice cracked. With the lights shining in my face, it felt like a spotlight. Once we wrapped and I drove home, doubts flooded my mind. Had I just made a fool of myself?
Just like the difference between a hurting pain and a healing one, I think the same is true of fear. Fear can be a danger sign, but it can also be a signal for growth.
During the interview, the podcaster asked me, “How do you know when you should take a step forward if you’re feeling unsure?” I can’t tell you what I said in the moment, but what I know is that it’s a matter of trusting my intuition.
Perhaps the fear is not a problem to be solved.
The next time fear accompanies an opportunity, ask yourself "Am I afraid to be seen?" If the answer is yes, consider moving towards the fear and letting yourself expand.
