I’m recording this episode from Joshua Tree, California, where the dogs and I recently landed and are staying with my Aunt Christine on her two-acre property surrounded by horses, a donkey, and plenty of desert beauty. From the outside, our little 300-square-foot casita looks like a simple metal shed, but inside meets our basic needs and has become a cozy, surprising space for reflection. Being here has me thinking about the habits I’ve carried with me, especially my natural tendency to plan ahead and anticipate every scenario.

That planning instinct served me well in my corporate career, but I’m noticing how it can sometimes get in the way of trusting the present moment and myself. In this episode, I share stories, from navigating life in a smaller space to managing my soy allergy on a birthday dinner out, that highlight how fear and scarcity can shape our choices. On this Wise Walk, we’ll explore how letting go of fear-based habits and leaning into trust can create more peace, freedom, and alignment with the future we want to build.

• As you reflect on your present and future goals or dreams, how is your ability to plan serving you?
• Where is this planning mentality adding value and setting you up for success?
• Where is this habitual need to plan getting in your way or bringing you down?
• Are you planning for the best outcomes and the positivity you know you’re attracting, or are you stuck preparing for worst-case scenarios out of fear?
• Are you able to pivot in order to manage those circumstances?
• What’s an example in your life where you are stockpiling something you use regularly or something you’ve run out of once and don’t want to run out of again?
• Is that mentality or habit serving you at this moment, or are you open to releasing that old pattern and trusting that when you need it, you’ll have the means and resources to acquire it?
• Is there another quality you are known for, like being a good troubleshooter, that has served you in life or your career but doesn’t serve you in other areas?
• Do you find yourself seeing problems nonstop, and where can you open your mind to seeing the good that’s waiting for you?
• What qualities are beneficial to you that you want to hold on to in the present and as you look toward the future?
• What qualities come from lack, fear, or worry that you want to release so you can lean more into trust and divine timing?
• Where in your life can you take the leap and release some of the overplanning or qualities that you’ve relied on for so long?
• Where can you step into a peaceful mindset that trusts things will come together, even if you can’t yet see how, knowing you’ll acquire what you need moment by moment?

As always, I’d love to hear what you took away from today’s episode, so please feel free to reach out. I hope you stay open to what the day brings and notice the ways it may surprise you with something even better than you planned. I’d love for you to tune in next Thursday for another Wise Walk.

In this episode:

• [05:37] A long track record of successfully planning for the best, worst, and everything in between scenarios gave me extreme confidence that I could navigate the unknown.
• [06:05] I could trust that I could keep moving forward no matter what I was faced with.
• [07:15] I know you Striders also have the innate ability to navigate the unknown.
• [08:19] On this trip, I've reflected a lot on what my basic needs are.
• [09:13] I love coconut milk in my tea in the morning. I struggled with not buying extra at the store, even though I knew I needed only one.
• [10:56] We need to release that scarcity mindset. We don't have to plan for the worst scenario right now.
• [12:02] I don't have to come from a place of scarcity. I can trust that it will be there when I need it.
• [14:13] I also have a fear of going out to eat, because of my soy allergy. 
• [15:21] The lesson I learned while going out to eat on my 51st birthday. 
• [18:24] It was a great example of when we trust that what we need is going to appear when we need it, being a beautiful gift.
• [19:53] I hope as you go through your day that you can see where old habits served you and don't, and be able to release those that don't align anymore.

Memorable Quotes:

• “You do not have to plan for the worst case scenario. You can have a self-belief in yourself that you are going to navigate the unknown with style, with grace, with peace, with harmony.” - Mary Tess
• “Trusting that what we need is going to appear when we need it. That's a beautiful gift.” - Mary Tess
• “We can build enough self-trust to know that we can navigate whatever comes our way, and we’ll find the resources we need in exactly the right time frame.” - Mary Tess

Links and Resources:

• Mary Tess Rooney
• Email
• Heart Value

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