Reimagining living beyond the shadow of doubt.™
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Beyond the Shadow of Doubt™ is a proud member of the Dialogue Podcast Network, a part of the Dialogue Journal, founded by Mormon writer, teacher and scholar, Eugene England. [DialogueJournal.com/podcasts]
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Have you ever taken off in an airplane in the middle of a storm? Understandably, folks are a little nervous and on high alert until the captain and crew reassure everyone that takeoff was successful and we’ve reached a safe altitude.
This happened recently while I was flying with my daughter. As we climbed, we felt every bump of turbulence. Then there was a point where we passed the storm clouds. We were above them—outside the range of the storm. The storm still raged below, but our view was endless billowy white clouds with sunlight sparkling across them. The contrast was unmistakable—two different worlds. You’d never guess this was on the other side of those storm clouds.
It seems obvious, but we humans need reminders:
We don’t know what we don’t know.
We can’t see what we can’t see.
We literally can’t comprehend it until we do.
If we don’t make ourselves available to new information—or venture outside our current worldview—we remain ignorant of it. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Our beliefs.
Think of each belief as a box. Over time, we stuff those boxes with stories and narratives until they clutter the space in our mind.
We all have boxes: political, religious, spiritual, intellectual (ADHD, neurodivergence, autism, learning differences, emotional struggles), gender roles, identity, leadership, education/professional types.
Do you know what yours are? Have you taken the time to identify them?
Some boxes stir up shame—and shame inhibits curiosity, wonder, inquisitiveness, compassion, understanding, expansion, and the willingness to question or allow doubt.
Beliefs are simply thoughts we’ve practiced so often that they feel true—like reality or “just the way things are.” Many are held in place by chains. Some chains are love. Others are shame, fear, or something else entirely.
Shame fogs clear thinking and can determine whether a belief becomes a chain that binds us…or an anchor that grounds us. There’s a difference.
Until we pause and notice, we’re on autopilot inside our belief cages. We don’t question them—because it’s out of our awareness that questioning is even possible. We must deliberately slow down long enough to hear the thoughts taking up that precious mental real estate.
We forget we are not our thoughts (or our feelings). We’re the ones hearing and experiencing them. And thoughts/feelings are not facts; they aren’t set in stone. (On average, a feeling lasts 60–90 seconds.)
Some thoughts once served or protected us when we were younger. Now, they may be in the way—sometimes even harmful—impeding growth most of all.
Without awareness, boxes harden into belief cages that stall progress, block dreams (or stop us from dreaming altogether—which kills hope), and hold back personal development.
Boxes are the stories we carry about our lives. They can trigger fear, shame, and worry—emotions that shut down the curiosity that leads to learning more. Shame also gets in the way of self-compassion and grace. We beat ourselves up instead of recognizing we did the best we could with the knowledge, understanding, and resources we had at the time.
Most importantly, these boxes keep us small. We’re less likely to question, to allow doubts, to deepen knowledge, and to expand the self—so the cycle repeats.
These patterns—stories, boxes, belief cages—keep us from seeing possibility, from asking “What if?” and “What’s possible?” We can’t see the other side of maybe.
TOSOM is about focusing on the joy in your journey—the life and living that emerges when we toss out the boxes and deconstruct what no longer serves us. The Other Side of Maybe meets us on the other side of what’s possible.
This is what I’m creating in my spaces. One way I’m doing that is by re-imagining my podcast. I’m calling it Living Beyond the Shadow of Doubt. I feel strongly about the “living” piece—because that’s what this journey is and has been.
It’s about claiming spiritual sovereignty—becoming the captain of your own vessel. It’s about releasing what no longer aligns in your connection with the Divine and expanding your energy field to make room for what’s new: insights, understandings, connections, observations, fundamental shifts, practices, rituals—all the ways we learn to connect with ourselves, with others, and with the Divine.
Why? Because ultimately this is what connects humanity. We drop pretense and assumptions. We retire lenses focused on the external and trade them for lenses that zoom in on the internal being—the essence, the beautiful soul in every living thing.
This shift in my podcast aligns with my upcoming book, Transparency, which shares part of my spiritual journey as a parent of a transgender kiddo. I’m building a small launch team—if this calls to you, I’d love your help.
Follow along on the podcast and socials, and hop on my email list to be first to know when I share more. Until next time—thanks for being here.