In Times of Uncertainty, Here’s Where Your True Power Lives

Last week, I wrote a journal entry inspired by the current events and the unpredictable state of the world. Everything feels heavy right now, and it seems like we’re collectively navigating a time when it’s hard to get solid footing and even harder to make sense of what’s going on.

I ended up using the reflection from that entry to guide one of my yoga classes last week, and I wanted to share it here with you too, because I believe these reminders are things we all need from time to time.

Collectively, we’re moving through a time of change, uncertainty, and unpredictability. So much feels outside of our control, and it’s exhausting to try and hold it all.

If you’ve been feeling that same sense of chaos, uncertainty, and not being in control, know that you’re not alone.

In moments of challenge — especially when what’s happening is outside of our control — our first instinct is often to fight against it. To push, resist, or expend energy trying to change what isn’t ours to change.

And while this response is entirely human (and sometimes even necessary in certain situations), if we stay in that state of constant resistance, it drains us. It exhausts our body, tightens our muscles, clouds our mind, and keeps us stuck in a loop of dysregulation.

Over time, this constant output of energy becomes counterproductive — leaving us too depleted to continue forward in the ways that matter most, or to tend to what is within our control.

The truth is, we might not have a choice in what’s happening, but we always have a choice in how we respond. And that’s where our power lives — whether it’s through surrender, through choosing rest, through standing up for what matters to us, or simply through deciding not to meet harmful energy with more of the same.

This reflection is about remembering those choices and the power that comes with them.

What Surrender Actually Means

There’s a common misconception about surrender — that it means giving up, waving a white flag, or becoming passive.

But real, embodied surrender isn’t about disengaging from life: It’s about being honest with ourselves about what’s actually here. It’s the conscious awareness to acknowledge reality as it is, without pretending it’s different or denying our feelings about it.

From there, we can ask ourselves an essential question in remembering our power of choice:

“Now what?”

This simple question can be a lifeline. It invites us back into relationship with our own agency. It allows us to discern what is within our control and what isn’t — and most importantly, to choose where we place our energy.

In yogic philosophy, this ties into the teaching of Brahmacharya, one of the Yamas, which is often interpreted as “right use of energy”. It asks us to be intentional about where we invest our attention, our effort, and our emotional resources. In moments of difficulty, this can take many different forms.

The Many Forms of Response

Choosing your response doesn’t mean you always have to stay calm or serene. It’s not about toxic positivity or bypassing hard emotions. It’s about discernment — recognizing what’s worth your energy and what isn’t.

• Sometimes that response looks like resting, nourishing yourself, and pausing.

• Sometimes it looks like standing up for what matters to you.

• Other times, it is enduring discomfort, trusting that resilience is often built in those difficult moments.

And sometimes it’s as simple as making a quiet, firm decision within yourself:

“I will not be that.”

If you witness someone acting unkindly, moving through the world in a way that hurts others, or carrying bitterness — choosing not to mirror that behavior is a powerful act in itself. It’s a form of protest. A refusal to be pulled down into the same energy. And when you make that choice, you create a ripple effect. The energy you carry influences every interaction, every room you enter, and every soul you cross paths with.

A Somatic Perspective

From a somatic and nervous system lens, these choices matter more than we often realize. Every time we pause to check in with our body before reacting, every time we notice where we’re gripping or holding, and every time we decide to release what’s not ours to carry — we’re re-patterning our nervous system toward greater safety, resilience, and capacity.

This is why practices like yoga, breathwork, and somatic healing aren’t just exercises in flexibility or relaxation. They’re tools for remembering our power of choice, even in the hardest moments. They create space between stimulus and response. And within that space, we reclaim ourselves.

Final Thoughts

Life will continue to offer us challenges outside of our control. That’s a given. But what’s also true is that we have choice. Choice in how we meet those moments, in how we tend to ourselves, in where we place our energy, and in who we choose to be.

So, the next time you feel caught in the pull of resistance, I invite you to pause, take a breath, and ask:

“Now what?”

And then choose — not from fear, not from reactivity — but from the grounded wisdom of your body, heart, and soul.

And remember, you’re more powerful than you realize.

-Franchesca

PS — If this message resonated with you, I’d love to have you join me for my weekly online community yoga class. It’s a gentle, grounding space to reconnect with yourself, move with intention, and tend to whatever’s present for you. We meet every Sunday at 9 AM EST. If you’d like to join the next class, click here.

Photo cred: Sasha Freemind via Unsplash