S3E29: Trusting the Universe When You Don’t Know What’s Happening (Manifestation, Letting Go, and Surrender)

What does it mean to trust the universe when you don’t know what’s happening?

In this episode, we talk about the hardest part of manifestation: the in-between phase where things feel uncertain and out of your control. If you’re trying to trust the universe, let go, and stay aligned without knowing how something will play out, this is the moment that really tests you.

We break down how to handle uncertainty in manifestation, what surrender and letting go actually look like, and how to stop overthinking or trying to control the outcome. You’ll also learn how to tell the difference between real trust and underlying anxiety, and why your emotional response matters more than any sign.

If you’re navigating change, waiting for clarity, or working on trusting divine timing, this episode will help you stay grounded and move forward with more confidence.

Transcript

Intro
Welcome to Cue the Real, the podcast to get unstuck and manifest the life that's calling you. I’m your host, Lindsay Brand, a military veteran who built success in the private sector until the Universe guided me to something deeper, helping people move from stuck to fully aligned through manifestation. I blend neuroscience, personal stories, and the most practical tools to shine a light on what’s holding you back so you can manifest the life you truly want.

Open
Hey friends, do you ever get that feeling where something is happening in your life and you know it means something, but you have no idea what? It feels intentional. It feels placed, like it’s leading you somewhere. But you can’t tell if it’s about to become everything you wanted, or if your life’s about to completely fall apart. And the most frustrating part about this is, there’s no way to know which one it is while you’re in it. I’ve been in one of those moments lately and it made me realize something about trust that I don’t think we talk about enough. So, today, I’m going to talk about that kind of trust because what you do in these moments decides how this all plays out.
Let’s cue the real.
Music

Trust
I have these moments so often where I genuinely cannot tell what the universe is trying to tell me. I don’t know if it’s dangling a carrot in front of me trying to take me in a certain direction, if it’s taking me window shopping to see what I really want, if it’s actually giving me something, or if it’s about to turn into some kind of lesson.
And I’m just sitting there like what is happening? Because I want to understand it. I want to know what this means and where it’s going. Is this a green light? Is this a test? Is this something I’m supposed to go all in on or pull back from? And honestly, when you’re in it, it’s almost impossible to tell the difference.

The best way I can describe it is like surfing. Most people don’t surf, but you understand the concept. You catch a wave, you stand up on your board, and once you’re on it you have no idea how it’s going to play out. You don’t know how long it’s going to last. You don’t know if it’s about to crash in two seconds or carry you all the way in. The only thing you can really do is stay on that board and ride it. And that’s exactly what these moments feel like.

You’re already in it. You’ve already caught the wave. And your mind is like, “Okay wait, where is this going? What is this turning into? How does this end?” But there’s no answer available yet. And that’s the part that drives me crazy.
Because this is where it becomes a test, not of patience like many people may think but of trust. Do you keep questioning everything? Do you get obsessed with figuring it out and trying to predict what’s going to happen? Or do you just ride it out and see where it takes you?

My belief is that we are co-creating with the universe, meaning it’s not just us doing everything on our own, and it’s not just the universe controlling everything either. It’s both, we’re working in tandem.

And if that’s true then there are going to be times where we want something that just isn’t for us. And the universe has different ways of showing us that.
Sometimes it’ll let you have the thing and then you realize it’s not what you thought it was. Sometimes it just won’t give it to you at all. And sometimes, and this is the one that gets me, it’ll let you get close enough that it feels like it’s about to happen and then everything changes.

And you’re left sitting there like wait, what was that? What was the point of that?
And I think that’s where this question comes in that I’ve been sitting with and pondering on: How much do I actually trust the universe?
Really think about that. Do you truly believe, with every fiber of your being, that the universe is  working in your best interest? Do you believe it would never give you something you can’t handle? Do you trust it completely even when you don’t understand what it’s doing?

Because I think a lot of us say we trust it when things are going the way we want them to go. But when we’re in one of these moments, where we don’t know what’s happening, where it could go either way, that’s when you really see where your trust is at.
And I get it, trust is hard, especially trust towards something you can’t see or touch or fully prove exists.

So I want to challenge you a little bit here. The next time you’re in one of these moments, where something is unfolding and you have no idea where it’s going, instead of immediately trying to figure it out, take a moment with yourself. Sit back, close your eyes for a minute, take a deep breath, and ask yourself: Do I trust the universe with whatever is going on here?

Have I done my part? Have I been clear about what I want, my true desires? Have I been doing the work, and actually showing up for my life?

Because checking in with yourself like that matters. Life is always going. It’s always moving, raring to go. And we’ve gotten so used to being caught up in it, constantly thinking and reacting that it’s almost become a luxury to just stop and ask ourselves a real question. When honestly, that should be the norm.

This is a time to let go. Like actually let go. Not just saying it, but doing it. Let go of the need to figure it out, of the constant questioning, of the worry, the doubt, the fear around “what is this going to turn into?”

Because the truth is, whatever is supposed to happen will happen. And your job is to get to a place where you believe that. And if you don’t right now then the work becomes figuring out how you will. Because that’s the only way you stop obsessing over the future, and what’s happening and why.

To be real with you, I get into these spirals all the time where I have no idea what’s going on. And I get obsessed with figuring it out because that’s how I’m wired. I am very good at figuring things out. I don’t like not knowing. If there’s a pattern, a clue, something to read into, my brain will go and go and go until it lands on the answer.
So being in the middle of something and not having an answer that I can work toward is not natural for me. And it takes effort not to chase an answer.
But I’m starting to realize that not everything is meant to be figured out in real time. Some things are meant to be experienced while they’re still unclear. And that’s a very different way of moving through life.

Because it forces you to ask a different question: Are you enjoying the journey or are you just staring at the destination waiting to get there?
Because the journey is your whole life here. It’s not just the moments where things happen. It’s everything in between too.

Picture your life like a map. One of those big old school maps people somehow used to drive with. There’s one main road running through it from top to bottom, and then a few side roads that branch off here and there. Now imagine along the main road there are maybe twenty red dots. The big things, the moments where something happened, something changed, where you got what you wanted in life.

Now imagine if those were the only moments you were fully present for. Everything else in between you were in your head, waiting, trying to figure things out, trying to get to the next dot. That would mean you missed most of your life. And that’s what happens when you constantly are trying to predict and control everything. You stop living in the in between, and the in between is your life.

So when you find yourself in one of those moments where something feels like it could go either way, where you don’t know if it’s about to become something or fall apart, instead of spiraling, instead of trying to force an answer that’s not available yet, just ask yourself, can I ride this out without needing to know where it ends, can I be here while it’s still unfolding? Because that’s living, not figuring it out, trusting it while you’re still in it.

And if you’re in one of those moments right now, where something feels unclear, but important, take a second today and check in with yourself to see where you actually stand, because the way you show up here in not knowing, affects what happens next.
If you can fully trust it, odds are something great is coming for you. If you are living in fear and doubt and constantly seeking control, you’re creating resistance to what you want most.

Close
You’re not alone in this. These situations happen to people all of the time. It’s just about understanding what’s happening really, how you feel about it and how you can live through this moment. I talk about these moments a lot because they're so real to me.
If you’re feeling that way too, follow the show.
I want to leave you with this. You don't need certainty to move forward. Most of the time, clarity comes after the experience, not before it.

Until next time.