Do you ever find yourself wondering…

“What if I choose the wrong path?”

You feel like God might be leading you somewhere…

but instead of moving forward, you overthink, second-guess, and stay stuck—waiting for more clarity.

When it comes to discerning your next step,

you feel stuck—unsure if you’re truly hearing God or just overthinking everything.

So you pause.

You question.

You hold back… just in case you get it wrong.

In today’s episode, we’re getting to the root of that fear—and why it may be the very thing keeping you from stepping into God’s plan for your life.

If you’ve been longing for clarity in your purpose,

wanting to grow in trust in God,

and learning how to hear Him—even in the middle of your busy life…

this episode will meet you right where you are.

Whether you’re driving, folding laundry,or finally sitting down for a quiet moment… press play and let God meet you right where you are.

I pray that this episode blesses and encourages you!

Michelle

✨ Next Steps:

1. Join the Facebook community — Here
2. Subscribe to the weekly The Inner Flame — Here
3. Take "What is my God-Given purpose: Where to Begin?" quiz — Here
4. Book a 1:1 Discernment Coaching Session — Here

✨ Email: hello@michellebrannam.com

✨ Website: https://MichelleBrannam.com

✨ Listen to Related Episodes:

• 12 | When Doubt Creeps In: Staying Rooted in Your Purpose
• 34 | When Life Feels Chaotic, Here’s How to Stay Rooted in God’s Plan
• 46 | Not Sure What God Wants? How to Discern His Will and Move Forward in Peace

🕊️ Scripture Mentioned:

• Deuteronomy 31:8

Bible Translation Used: All Scripture is quoted from the Revised Standard Version – Second Catholic Edition (RSV-2CE), The Great Adventure Catholic Bible, © Ascension Press. Used with permission

Fear does not get to lead your decision.

You feel like God might be leading you somewhere, but you keep asking yourself, what if I choose the wrong path?

So you pause, you overthink, and you wait for more clarity and you end up staying exactly where you are.

If you've ever felt stuck, you're trying to figure out your next step, you're afraid of getting it wrong, or you're missing God's plan, then this episode is for you.

And you.

If in today's episode we're going to talk about what's really underneath that fear and how to start taking your next step with God without second guessing yourself every step of the way.

If you're ready to stop overthinking and start moving forward with faith and confidence, grab that laundry that's calling your name, take a deep breath and let's dive in.

If you're tired of feeling unsure about your purpose because you don't know how to hear God clearly and you want simple, faith rooted steps to discern his will and move forward with confidence, you are in the right place.

I'm Michelle, a cradle Catholic mom of three and a discernment coach for Catholic women.

I learned how to move from confusion and overthinking to hearing God's voice clearly and moving forward with confidence in his will.

So if you're ready to grow closer to God, begin discovering how God uniquely made you and experience that mindset transformation.

Grab that laundry, pop in those earbuds and let's go.

If you've been thinking about booking a discernment coaching session, I want to walk you through exactly what that looks like so you know what to expect when you book your session.

This is a one to one personalized time that's set aside just for you.

We begin by looking at where you are right now, what you've been thinking about praying through, or feeling unsure about when it comes to your purpose and the next step that God might be inviting you to.

From there, we gently walk through a discernment process together.

We invite the Holy Spirit in, reflect on what God may already be revealing in your life, and we begin identifying the patterns, the desires and areas where he may be leading you to.

This isn't overwhelming and it's not complicated.

We focus on clarity.

So by the end of the session you have a clearer understanding of what your next step could be.

How to move forward with peace.

Instead of second guessing, you're not walking away with more questions, you're walking away with direction.

If that's something you've been needing, you can Learn more or book your discernment coaching session at michellebranum.com coaching that is M I C H E L L E B R-A-N-N-A-M.com coaching all right, let's dive in.

I remember when I was in the middle of discerning my purpose.

I had done the work.

I had gathered all the pieces, the breadcrumbs that God had left for me.

My strengths, my experiences, and the things that lit me up.

And then I hit that moment.

Okay, now what?

It was the time to actually move.

And I remember this thought creeping in.

What if I choose the wrong direction?

What if this isn't what God actually wants for me?

And I just sat there, stuck, frozen.

And then I had this shift.

I asked myself, how can God guide me if I don't move?

If I stay right here, right where I'm at, Overthinking, analyzing, going around in circles.

Then how is he supposed to direct my steps steps if I'm not taking any?

And I also remember thinking, if I stay stuck in this fear, how can I ever help the people that I feel called to serve?

And maybe you've had that same thought too.

What if I choose the wrong path?

So let's talk about what's really going on underneath that fear.

And how you can actually move forward with peace and confidence.

So here's the truth.

When you stay in fear of choosing the wrong path, you don't move.

And when you don't move, you stay stuck.

And that's that paralysis feeling.

You're overthinking.

You're second guessing.

And you're waiting for that perfect clarity and that stuck place that's not from God, the enemy he loves when you stay there.

Because if you don't move forward, you'll never step into who God created you to be.

And then what happens?

You start justifying it.

You're making excuses.

You're telling yourself, maybe now this isn't the time, but really, it's fear.

And when you're in fear, you are not thinking clearly.

Fear has a way of twisting your thoughts.

It starts sounding like, what if I mess this up?

What if God is going to be disappointed in me if I make that wrong decision?

But that's not how God works.

That's a lie.

Because God is not waiting for you to fail so that he can be upset with you.

That's not our God.

He guides you.

And even when you don't get it perfect.

So yes, fear may be there and you may have it.

But fear does not get to lead your decision.

Repeat that with me.

This is so powerful.

Fear does not get to lead your decision.

You don't wait until fear is gone.

You choose to move forward rooted in truth.

That's God's truth instead of lies.

So if fear isn't meant to lead, what does that actually look like?

You don't get clarity first and then move.

Because that's where I see a lot of people fall into this trap.

You move and then God gives you clarity.

You take a step with the information that you have and God meets you there.

This is where we have to come back to truth, to God's truth.

And Scripture reminds us it is the Lord who goes before you.

He will be with you.

He will not fail you or forsake you.

Do not be dismayed.

That is Deuteronomy 31:8.

So if God is the one going before you, you're not stepping into the unknown, right?

He's already guiding you.

He's redirecting you if needed.

He opens doors, he closes doors.

But he can't steer something that's not moving.

So instead of asking, what if I choose the wrong path?

We need to ask ourselves, am I willing to take the next step with God?

That's faith.

Fear says stay where it's comfortable and faith says take that step anyway.

But let's be honest, that's not always easy, right?

Because fear will come back.

That enemy, he will keep planting that fear thought.

What if I get it wrong?

So you have to decide, am I going to let that thought control me?

Am I going to let that seed of fear plant in me, that fear that's going to hold me back?

Or am I going to anchor myself in truth, God's truth.

And this is where your daily time with God matters.

This is where you renew your mind matters.

What you're doing is you're reminding yourself God is good.

God is guiding me.

And God is not trying to trick me.

And then you act from that place, not from the place of fear.

It's not perfectly, but it's faithfully.

If you keep waiting until you feel 100% sure, you're going to stay right where you are.

And I don't want that for you.

You're called to more than staying stuck in fear.

And if you're ready to actually move forward with that clarity, with direction and with God at the cent center of it, in the Catholic faith, that's exactly what we do inside.

My one to one discernment coaching.

You don't have to keep trying to figure this out.

On your own to book your session, head to michellebranum.com coaching that is M I C H E L L E B R-A-N-N-A-M.com coaching to recap on the three things and you anchor yourself to you don't need perfect clarity.

You need your next step.

Fear keeps you stuck, but faith moves you forward and God guides you as you move.

All right, let's take a moment to pray and ask God's guidance.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit God, I give you this fear of getting it wrong, the fear of choosing the wrong path.

Help me to trust that you are guiding me even when I don't see the full picture.

Give me the courage to take the next step with you, not in fear, but in faith.

Remind me that you are good and that you are near and that you will lead me where I am meant to go.

Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Now let's take this from head to heart, knowing that truth is powerful, but that real change happens when we act just one small step at a time.

This week I want you to invite God.

Set aside a few quiet moments, grab your journal and sit with this question and then reflect.

Are you holding back from taking a step because you're afraid of choosing the wrong path?

Be honest with God with what's coming up.

Be honest with yourself.

Don't rush past it.

Let him meet you there and ask him to help you take your next step.

He is there.

He is waiting.

He is ready to guide you.

And remember, my beautiful sister in Christ, that God uniquely created you for a new purpose.

You were made to do great things.

God is within you and you will not fail.

I look forward to continuing this journey with you.

I'll meet you next Tuesday for another conversation.

Until then, may God bless you and bring you peace.

I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

If so, take 30 seconds to share it with a friend who's feeling unsure about her purpose and want simple, faith filled steps to discern God's will.

And if you've learned something today, please leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts.

It lights me up to know that this show is helping you.

Okay, time to tackle the laundry and unload the dishwasher.

Gotta go.

I'll see you next Tuesday for another conversation.