🔥LIMITED SPOTS!!! This episode of the Say Yes Anyway Podcast is brought to you by The Camino Retreat—a transformational journey along the historic Camino de Santiago. If you're longing for deeper connection, clarity, and adventure, this seven-day pilgrimage is designed to help you realign with your purpose and embrace what’s next. Join us May 27 – June 3, 2025. Spots are limited—book a call here, visit jessdahl.com or DM me on Instagram @JessDahl_ to claim one of the last spots!
In this solo episode, I explore a topic that resonates deeply: the messy middle—the space between where you were and where you want to be. It’s a season filled with uncertainty, discomfort, and transition, but it’s also where true transformation happens. I share my personal journey of navigating my own messy middle, reflecting on a pivotal moment when I had to let go of my first nonprofit. It was a project that meant the world to me, and releasing it felt impossible at first. But as I surrendered to the unknown, I began to see how letting go created space for something even greater.
The messy middle challenges us because we crave certainty, a roadmap, a guarantee that things will work out. But the reality is, transformation doesn’t come with step-by-step instructions. It requires trust, patience, and the ability to sit in the unknown without rushing through it. This isn’t a waiting room—it’s a training ground preparing us for what’s ahead. Instead of resisting discomfort, I encourage listeners to reframe it as a sign of growth. Growth is rarely comfortable, but it’s always necessary.
I share practical ways to navigate this season: move your body to shift your state, take one bold step toward your goal, surround yourself with people who remind you of who you’re becoming, and trust that clarity comes from action, not overthinking. I also talk about the temptation to return to what’s familiar simply because the unknown feels scary. But staying in a place that no longer serves us will never lead to true fulfillment. We don’t need to see the whole path—we just need the courage to take the next step.
Every deeply fulfilled person has walked through their own messy middle. I invite listeners to think of someone who almost quit but kept going and eventually thrived. This season isn’t the end of your story—it’s the making of it. It’s shaping you in ways you can’t yet see, strengthening you for what’s ahead. You are not lost; you are in the process of becoming.
If this episode spoke to you, share it with someone who needs encouragement. And please go leave a review on apple podcasts! It means the world to me and helps get these messages out there to many more!
And if you're seeking a space to embrace your own transition, I’d love for you to join us on our Camino Retreat, a journey designed to help people navigate their messy middle with purpose, courage, and community. For more details, visit my Instagram @jessdahl_.