Excited and terrified. Two things can be true.

What improv taught me about moving forward anyway

Hey, Friend!

Can I tell you something I haven't fully said out loud yet?

I'm excited. Like genuinely, can't-stop-thinking-about-it excited about what's possible right now.

And I'm scared.

Feeling two opposing feelings at the same dang time! (IYKYK 😉)

For a long time I thought that meant something was wrong. That the fear was a sign I wasn't ready, that I should wait until the excitement outweighed the nerves before I moved forward.

But I've learned something recently: the excitement and the fear showing up together? That's not a warning or a need to panic.

That's a signal that something that actually matters is finally in motion.

1 | Thinking Out Loud

There's a rule in improv called "Yes, And...".

The idea is simple: whatever your scene partner gives you, you accept it and build on it.

You don't block. You don't hesitate. You don't wait until you know where the scene is going before you say your first line.

You just say yes. And then you add something.

I've been thinking about how much of life, and especially the calling season, requires exactly this.

Yes, I was laid off. And now Out Loud gets my whole focus.

Yes, I'm scared. And I'm showing up anyway.

Yes, the path is unclear. And I'm moving forward anyway.

The "Yes" is acceptance. The "And" is agency.

Together, they keep the scene moving even when you have no idea how it ends.

And here's the thing: the "And" is always a choice.

You decide to add your next line even when you don't know what comes after it.

That's not recklessness. That's what courage actually looks like up close.

Here's what I've noticed about us midlife creatives: we're great at the "Yes."

We accept what's happening. We acknowledge the fear, the uncertainty, the gap between where we are and where we want to be.

But we get stuck before the "And."

We accept the situation and then we wait. For clarity. For certainty. For the fear to pass. For the right moment to add our next line.

But in improv, waiting kills the scene. And in life, it kills the momentum.

The "And" doesn't have to be big. It just has to be something.

2 | Try This

Think about one area of your life or your idea where you've been stuck at "Yes" without getting to "And."

Finish these two sentences:

Yes, _________________________ (name the reality, the fear, the situation).

And _________________________ (name one small thing you can do or decide this week, in spite of it).

Write it down. Say it out loud. Then do the "And."

3 | Sit With This

What has waiting at "Yes" already cost you?

(Hit reply and tell me. I've enjoyed reading the responses I've received so far.)

📖 The Word Out Loud

2 Timothy 1:7: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

The fear is real. But it didn't come from Him. The power did.

P.S. Speaking of "Yes and ...", I just posted my first TikTok (Eek!). Imperfect, unpolished and out loud. If you want to follow along as I figure this out in real time, come find me there.