Last week, I wrote about the busiest woman I know, my mom. I’m grateful to share that she’s now stable and recovering. And like most things in life, what we thought would be a short chapter turned into an unexpected detour.

Here’s what hit me this week: stress isn’t always caused by doing too much. Often, it’s caused by not knowing what comes next. We can handle hard things if we know what they are. What shakes us is uncertainty, the unanswered questions, the waiting, the feeling that no matter how organized, prepared, or capable you are, some things remain out of your control.

I spend a lot of time around high performers. People who manage teams, companies, families, and responsibilities with impressive precision. But when something unexpected shows up, a health scare, a loss, a sudden change, even the strongest among us are reminded of the same truth: you don’t manage life. You respond to it.

And stress doesn’t mean you’re weak. It usually means you care.

What I’m learning (again) is this: resilience isn’t about powering through at full speed. It’s about knowing when to slow down, who to lean on, and what actually deserves your energy in that moment. The work isn’t eliminating stress. The work is building the capacity to handle the unexpected without losing yourself in the process.

So here’s my question for you this week: what are you holding on to too tightly, trying to control, that leaves you feeling helpless? Give yourself some grace instead.

Because life will always throw curveballs. The real measure is how you show up when it does.