Why Expansion Feels Unsafe (Even When It’s What You Want)

What happens when the very thing you’ve been working toward finally starts unfolding—and instead of confidence, you feel anxiety, resistance, and fear?

In this vulnerable solo episode, Jazzmyn pulls back the curtain on what it actually looks like to build capacity for more in real time. Not the polished version. Not the “I’ve already figured it out” version. The honest one.

We talk about:

• The anxiety that comes with expansion
• Why fear often shows up right before growth
• Letting resistance exist without letting it run your life
• Imposter syndrome, old messages, and who they really belong to
• The nervous system work required to receive what you’ve been asking for
• Trusting yourself after betrayal, burnout, or career pivots
• Why excitement and fear often feel the same in the body

This episode is for the person who knows they’re being called into a new season—more visibility, more responsibility, more alignment—but feels terrified they might drop the ball or lose it all.

You’re not failing.
 You’re not broken.
 You’re expanding.

Fear doesn’t mean stop. Sometimes it means you’re finally doing the thing.

If this episode resonates, reach out or share your thoughts at @healingwithjazzmyn. And as always—remember: visibility is the standard.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:03

I want everyone to take a deep breath with me. Because this one's gonna be a pretty vulnerable one. I am sitting with something on my heart right now, in my mind, and I'm filming it without allowing a lot of processing time. Because something that I admire so much about my guests is that they have shown up, shared their story, shared their vulnerability, and that is something that I am building up to. And so I want to stay true to my brand, my what like what I'm building, and I also want to participate in that too. I feel like it's only right. We so often in the business space talk about building your capacity for more, building your nervous system up to take on more, to receive more. And what we don't always talk about is the anxiety that comes with recognizing that you are taking on more, that your time is looking very different. You don't necessarily not have the capacity to take it on, but you don't know what it looks like to have this in your life, and it feels really scary. And that's honestly the place that I am in right now. Like as I'm talking to you about this, I have this huge pit in my chest. I feel so anxious. I've been feeling anxious for the last couple of weeks for multiple reasons, but I do believe that one of those reasons is I am truly building my capacity for more. I've been seeing videos about the double-edged sword that comes with desiring work-life balance and how like to reach a certain level of success. There is no such thing as work-life balance. It's just leaning into the things that you value and recognizing there is a season that is going to call for more work, more commitment to business opportunities, and other times you have more of a season where you're committed to rest and resetting and growth. I have been in that season. Partially, I was forced into that season of resetting, realigning, needing to really slow down. And as I've been in that slower season, the vision of what I believe is meant to unfold is unfolding. And I am being called to take action on those things. I am being called to commit, to build, and to be very active in the process of what I'm creating. Like we're no longer in the brainstorming section of this mission. We are in, Jasmine. You need to get off your ass. You need to get up. You're gonna be busier, you're you're gonna feel maxed out at times, but it is time. You are good, it's time to get up. You can do it, you have the support, you have the capability. And I say that, and I honestly don't believe that. I and that's where like imposter syndrome comes in, is I why me? Like I don't feel capable, I'm not feeling super confident that I can do it. And then I remind myself that the same person that has gotten me to this point is going to carry me into every other season of life, and that gets to be so grounding and that gets to be so healing, and I can feel so freaking anxious that I'm going to fuck it up. That me in all my shenanigans sometimes, and my in a version of myself that I sometimes see myself in cannot hold it, does not have the discipline, the willpower to hold it, and therefore it is going to crumble, and I am going to be devastated. Like that, I think part of it, that anxiety is the responsibility too. I love creating. I uh working with clients is starting to evolve for me as well. It is growing, podcasting is growing, my inbox is growing, and I am immensely grateful, and so I really try to be thoughtful about the language that I use, the how I think about how I manifest because I do manifest pretty quickly. I've learned that, I am learning that, and so I like to be really conscientious in what I'm speaking out into the world. And I want to be super transparent because I imagine there are a lot of you that are also in this space where you're like, oh my gosh, the thing that I've always been working towards is growing, it's evolving, it's shifting in a way that I didn't expect it to shift. And I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I have the capacity to take this on. I recognize the anxiety that's coming up for me right now is also partially resistance. It is the anxiety that's going to keep me safe. It's the anxiety that's saying, you know what, Jasmine, you're safe with where you are right now. No need to expand, no need to evolve. You're okay here. That resistance gets to exist. I get to acknowledge it. And I don't have to let it hold me back. I also am recognizing like old messages are starting to circulate in my brain. Like, who are you to think you're so ambitious? Who are you to want more? Who are you to think this is possible for you, especially right now? You're so young, this, that, and the other. So many messages that have been brought out in old circumstances are are starting to flood my brain. And so I really have to be thoughtful about okay, what is happening right now for me and what is coming up that is old, that has held me back, that has left me in a state of resistance. Like allowing myself to bring all of that into the forefront is so important. It's terrifying, honestly. I have built my career up until maybe this point, and maybe I think about six months ago, I have built my career in a state of one foot out the door because I have experienced a lot of hurt, a lot of betrayal in becoming a therapist specifically. But in my career trajectory, people that I thought would be in my corner up now are not there. I've had to learn a lot of lessons early that I do believe are the lessons that I needed to learn so I could get to this point. It doesn't make it hurt any less, but I do believe that is the truth. And so now to be in a space where I am allowing my body, myself, to settle in is terrifying. Allowing myself to be planted in my mission, in what I'm growing, and to invite people into that process to allow myself to evolve in the process without having a backup plan, to be trusting other people that they will have my best interest at heart when I share, when I disclose, is really terrifying because I could lose that tomorrow. At least that is an old lesson that I have learned is that I could lose that tomorrow. And so part of rounding myself in the present and the present mission that I am building is recognizing I have learned the lessons. The people who were not meant to stay in my life are not in my life anymore. The bridges that needed to be burned so that I could get to this point have been burned. There's no need to bring them up. And I am in a space right now where I am collaborating and being supported by really reliable people, and yet I still have this anxiety of I can't do it. I still have the anxiety that all of this will change tomorrow and not in a good way. And I put all my eggs in this basket. And I think that's really valid for people who have shifted in their careers, who have had really life-changing experiences happen, whether that's divorce, whether that's the loss of a family member or a really important person in your life, or being laid off. There are so many moments where we think this is stable and this is forever, and then it isn't. And then we have to pivot. I am grateful that I gave myself the space and the permission to process how a lot of those things have impacted me. Mostly for the most part, and given myself the grace and space to slow down in my work. And there's still a part of me that's afraid I can't do it. There is a part of me that is terrified of failure as I continue to put myself out there. There is a part of me that is terrified that it won't work out the way that I want to. And in that fear, in that anxiety, there's a lot of excitement. There is so much possibility that is in front of me. And as we say, nervousness and excitement can a lot of times feel the same. And it's a witnessing growth on my end that I recognize that I also feel really excited, that I also feel really hopeful, that I also feel 80% confident in what's happening and what is evolving. And I'm still letting that fear exist. I am letting that part of me that is scared exist without taking over, without completely hijacking my nervous system, without completely hijacking my belief in myself and my mission and the work that I'm growing towards. And I'm letting that space be there. I never believed that fear is there for no reason. It's a protector, it is there to keep us safe. And I am hearing it, I am heeding its word, but I am not going to give it the power that I would give it in the past. Because I have a lot of really exciting things happening, and I want to stay really present with those. I also feel immense gratitude for where I am right now. And social media can create a comparison trap that even I fall into. As much as I preach, stay in your own lane, as much as I preach, there isn't another you out there. All of those things are true. And I am saying those things because I also have to remind myself those things. I have to remind myself that I am going at the right pace, that everything that is meant for me will find me, is finding me. And that doesn't change where I can look on social media and be like, oh man, but that's where I want to be. That's what I'm working towards. That's the thing, that's the goal. And I imagine a lot of us can feel that way. So if you are finding yourself in a season where you feel the tide shifting to a space of action, to a space of really needing to get yourself in gear, if you're feeling like 2026 is the year, is your year, where you start to see all the puzzle pieces go together, you start to see the magic happen, the fruit of your labor really start to transform. I want to remind you, I'm so proud of you. I want you to be so proud of yourself. And I want you to remind and I want to remind you that that fear, anxiety that you're sitting with, that you're feeling is also valid. It does not need to hijack the entire system. It gets to be a part of you that you make friends with, that you comfort, that you remind is safe, is not in the circumstances that you once were in, and that you're moving forward and you're choosing to move forward. You're choosing to grow, you're choosing to evolve, you are choosing to continue trusting people, collaborating with people because you know that is what you want from your work. I would say the last three years have been a real lesson in understanding the kind of relationships that I want to have in my life. Again, I have been burned by my own graduate faculty, um, my family, people that I thought were friends, and it is taking a lot of work, a lot of quiet work, and some healing out loud, and the ability to continue showing up consistently that has reminded me that I am strong enough. And then if I have made it through everything that life has put in my way, that has put it in front of me, then there is no question that I am capable of moving forward, building my capacity of receiving and allowing myself the space to accept what is evolving and unfolding. I made a thread a couple days ago, and it was basically like never allow people to talk you out of wanting more. Never allow people to decide that you are too much, that you are too ambitious, that what you want is unrealistic. They're not trying, and you are. Continue trusting yourself, your voice, what has been placed on your heart, and identify what is discernment and intuition, and what is your anxiety trying to protect you rather than hold you back, anxiety as a hindrance. What is the anxiety that is coming up for you trying to protect you from? Let me know if this episode resonates with you. Let me know if anything about this episode or my show has landed. I would love to hear your thoughts at Healing with Jasmine. I'm so excited for my guest episode this week. It is closing out the year 2025. We're talking New Year's aspirations with Jennifer Kaufman-Walker. You all loved her in our first episode together, and I'm so excited to begin unfolding our content together, mission together, and really allowing that space and relationship to evolve. It has been such a gift for me in this year. And I love that you all love our content so much and want to see more, and I promise. you we will definitely be delivering on that. And yeah, I'll catch you all on Friday. Reach out and remember that visibility is the standard.