Podcast Script: “What If It All Works Out (Even If It Doesn’t)?”
Hey friend.
Welcome back to Running to Myself.
I’m your host, Trisha Stanton.
Today I want to share a story that has stayed with me for years—not because of how it ended, but because of how it changed me along the way.
This is a story about hope.
And control.
And learning to loosen our grip on things that were never ours to hold.
If you’re walking through something right now that feels heavy… unresolved… outside of your control… this episode is for you.
Let’s begin.
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The Coaching Question That Made Me Bristle
Several years ago, I was being coached about something that was absolutely consuming me.
It felt big.
It felt heavy.
It felt urgent.
And most importantly—it felt unfixable.
I was distressed. Not mildly uncomfortable. Distressed.
And at some point in the conversation, my coach said something that I did not like.
She said:
“What if you just decided to believe that in five years… it would all work out?”
And I want you to know—nothing about that landed gently.
Instead of comfort, something rose up in me that felt overpowering.
Defensive.
Almost offended.
Because all I could think was:
“But what if it doesn’t work out?”
“Then what?”
“What good does it do me to believe that, if it turns out not to be true?”
If I’m honest, when I got off that coaching call, I wasn’t satisfied.
I wasn’t relieved.
I wasn’t inspired.
There was a part of me that felt like my coach had taken something that felt absolutely overwhelming… and treated it like it was no big deal.
And that didn’t feel kind.
It didn’t feel helpful.
It didn’t feel realistic.
So for a solid week afterward, I thought about that question.
Not in a curious way at first.
In a defensive way.
I mentally gathered all the evidence for why that couldn’t possibly be the answer.
Why believing “it will all work out” felt naive.
Dangerous, even.
But eventually… I paused long enough to ask a different question.
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The Question That Changed Everything
I finally asked myself:
“What would actually be different inside of me if I did believe that it would all work out?”
Not would it be true.
Not would it be guaranteed.
But… what would it change in me right now?
And here’s something important I haven’t told you yet.
The situation I was so upset about was completely outside of my control.
Two people I love very deeply were at odds with each other.
And no matter how much I cared…
No matter how much I wanted resolution…
There was nothing I could do to change it.
And here’s the part that’s easy to miss:
My distress wasn’t helping anyone.
Not them.
Not me.
Not the relationship.
In fact, the tighter I held onto my ideas about how they should be handling things…
The more tension it created.
I was gripping something that wasn’t mine to hold.
And that grip was costing me.
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Loosening the Grip
Over time—slowly, imperfectly—I began to experiment with the idea my coach offered.
Not as a truth claim.
But as a practice.
What if believing that it might all work out someday…
Gave me permission to loosen my grip today?
What if it allowed me to breathe?
What if it helped me step back from trying to manage something I was never meant to manage?
Gradually, I stopped trying to fix the relationship.
I stopped trying to orchestrate outcomes.
And instead, I began to do something much quieter—and much braver.
I interacted with each of my loved ones individually.
I loved them where they were.
I accepted them as they were.
Even if they never chose reconciliation.
Even if the story didn’t resolve the way I wanted.
That shift changed me.
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The Part Where I Tell the Truth
Now… you might be expecting the part where I tell you:
“And five years later, everything worked out perfectly.”
But that’s not exactly what happened.
Some parts of this situation actually got much worse.
Some losses were deeper than I could have imagined.
Some things may never be the same.
And yet…
I am not the same person I was five years ago.
My capacity grew.
My resilience expanded.
My understanding deepened.
The situation didn’t magically resolve—but I changed.
And that matters.
Did it hurt me to entertain the idea that things might work themselves out someday?
No.
It gave me breathing room.
It relaxed my nervous system.
It allowed me to live my life instead of being consumed by what I couldn’t fix.
Did I need to know back then how painful some parts would become?
Absolutely not.
That information wouldn’t have helped me survive the moment I was in.
And this is important, so let me say it clearly:
You don’t need tomorrow’s pain in order to handle today.
You only need today.
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Holding Two Truths at Once
Here’s what I know now.
Hard things are going to happen.
That is not pessimism—that is reality.
But letting yourself believe that it won’t always be hard…
Does not diminish what you’re going through right now.
We can acknowledge the hard thing and hold hope for better days.
Both can be true.
Hope is not denial.
Hope is not dismissal.
Hope is not pretending.
Hope is choosing a thought that gives you room to breathe.
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A Gentle Reframe for You
So if you’re walking through something heavy—something unresolved—something you cannot fix…
I’m not asking you to declare that everything will turn out exactly how you want.
I’m simply offering this question:
“What would change inside of me if I believed that someday, in some way, it will work out?”
Even if it looks different than you imagine.
Even if it takes longer than you want.
Even if the outcome isn’t perfect.
What would that belief give you today?
More peace?
More patience?
More presence?
You don’t have to solve the future.
You only have to live today.
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One Day at a Time
Five years later, I still lean on this idea.
That someday… it will all work out in some capacity.
Not because I need certainty.
But because I need steadiness.
And in the meantime?
I take one day at a time.
I show up for what’s mine to hold.
And I release what isn’t.
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Closing
Listen—I would love to be able to tell you that everything worked out beautifully.
Maybe someday I still will.
But even if not…
Growth happened.
Healing happened.
Capacity expanded.
And not all is lost.
If this message met you where you are today, sit with it.
Let it breathe.
And remember—you don’t have to carry what isn’t yours.
I’m so glad you’re here, friend.
Until next time—
Take care of yourself.
