Living with Uncertainty & Chronic Illness (Tiny Buddha artilce)

Why I finally wrote about my journey with chronic illness

I’ve never been someone who identifies as “sick,” even after 25+ years of living with chronic illness. But I recently published an article for Tiny Buddha that dives into my story - how Type-A, control-freak me, the lover of certainty, plans, and checklists, was handed a crash course in the one thing I couldn’t out-strategize: uncertainty.

That experience has shaped everything from how I see the world to how I approach my work and life’s inevitable setbacks. When your body stops playing by the rules, you realize the rules were never as fixed as you thought. The labels, the expectations, the illusion of control all get stripped away. What’s left is the question: Now what?

For me, curiosity became the medicine I didn’t know I needed. We’re not talking about the “power of positive thinking” kind of mindset, we’re talking about what you do when you’re being hit in the face with a 2x4 by life. Curiosity helped me get out of my own way long enough to keep moving forward when answers weren’t available, when certainty wasn’t possible, and when control was nothing more than a distant memory. My biggest challenge ended up being the best teacher I never asked for, when I quit resisting the lesson.

In my piece for Tiny Buddha, I’m sharing what it means to use curiosity as a tool, not just for chronic illness, but for any moment when life backs you into a corner. Whether you’re staring down a diagnosis, sitting in the messy middle of an identity shift, or wrestling with a big decision that doesn’t seem to have a “right” answer, curiosity can be the crack in the wall that lets the light through.

This isn’t a story about overcoming illness. It’s about redefining the way you approach challenges of any kind. About asking better questions instead of demanding perfect answers. About building a life on possibility, not certainty.

If you’ve ever felt trapped by circumstances you didn’t choose, or if you’ve ever wanted permission to stop playing small, this one’s for you.