I’ve been hearing Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield a lot over the last several months. If you’re unfamiliar with it, one of the lines goes,

“Live your life with arms wide open / Today is where your book begins / The rest is still unwritten.”

As the Universe loves to remind me of connections, a friend recently shared a quote:

“You’re not done meeting everyone who’s going to matter to you. Some of the best moments in your life haven’t happened yet.”

Both struck me as powerful reminders that our stories are always unfolding. Love is a chapter. Loss is a chapter. Writing my book was a chapter. None of these stories is the story; they’re all pieces of the larger narrative that is still being written.

Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone

This past year, I pushed myself into new directions: challenging assumptions, learning new skills, and saying yes to opportunities that scared me. One of the biggest examples came six months after my cochlear implant surgery, when I performed on stage again this last weekend.

It wasn’t easy. My brain was (and is) still learning how to hear (literally) and singing, something that once felt instinctive, suddenly felt very different. I was terrified. What if my pitch was off? What if I couldn’t trust what I heard?

But I did it anyway. And in doing so, I discovered something about growth: it rarely comes from comfort. Growth often looks like standing in a spotlight while your knees shake and your brain whispers, What are you doing? Then doing it anyway.

Those performances weren’t about perfection. They were about presence and proving to myself that I was capable of new beginnings, even in the midst of uncertainty.

Your Story Is Still Being Written

Here’s what I know now: the chapter you’re in today is not your whole story. It may be a turning point, a plot twist, or even a pause between paragraphs… but it’s not the final page.

We all face those moments when we stare at the blank page and think, I don’t know what comes next. But here’s the thing: you don’t have to know. You just have to start.

Even if you write a sentence and cross it out. Even if your pen hesitates. Even if you don’t know how the story ends.

The act of showing up for your own life is what writes the next line.

The “Open a New Chapter” Mindset

As I wrote in Grief Recovery for Adults and the PURPOSE Journal, the “O” in the PURPOSE Framework stands for Open a New Chapter. It’s one of seven stages designed to help you move from pain to possibility, from holding on to letting in.

If you’re in that place right now, ready to turn a page but unsure how, start with these four prompts from that framework:

Relationships – Consider the role of new relationships or strengthening existing ones in your healing journey. Who’s in your life now that invites growth or peace?

Changes – Reflect on the changes you’ve experienced since your loss or life transition. Which have shaped you most? Which still feel unfinished?

Progress – Identify something you’ve been holding onto that may be hindering your progress. Can you loosen your grip just a little?

Discovery – Ask yourself what you’ve learned about yourself so far, and what you still hope to discover. What might the next chapter hold if you let it unfold?

Each question is a doorway to something new. You don’t have to rush through them. You can stand in the doorframe for a while if you need to and just peek on the other side. But sooner or later, you’ll feel that pull to step forward into what’s next.

Growth Is Supposed to Feel Uncomfortable

I think we often mistake discomfort for danger. We feel uneasy and assume it means something’s wrong. But growth is almost always uncomfortable.

When you push beyond the edges of what’s familiar, whether that’s grieving, healing, or trying something brand new, you’re asking your heart and mind to stretch. It’s like learning to walk again on new ground.

Every time you challenge yourself to be seen, to try again, to hope again, you’re writing a line in that next chapter. And the beauty of it is that you don’t have to know the whole story before you begin.

Embracing What Comes Next

When I think about Unwritten, I think about the invitation to start fresh every day. Each sunrise is a blank page. You can choose to stay stuck in the same sentence or start a new paragraph.

The chapters behind you (even the painful ones) don’t disappear. They give context, texture, and meaning to what comes next. And if you’re reading this, you’re still writing.

So, if you find yourself in that space of uncertainty, know this: you don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to begin.

Your Challenge This Week

Take a moment this week to reflect on the chapter you’re in right now.

Ask yourself:

• What feels unfinished but ready for closure?
• What new idea, relationship, or possibility has been nudging at me?
• What would it mean to write the first sentence of something new — even if I don’t yet know the ending?

You don’t have to start with a grand gesture. You can start with a whisper to yourself: “I am still becoming.”

Because you are. The pen is still in your hand. The story is still being written. And the rest? Well, it’s still unwritten.