Tuesday Jan 06, 2026

Rob Bell on Anxiety: The Certainty That Doesn't Exist - Pt 1

What if the anxiety you feel isn't because you need more information — it's because you're chasing certainty that doesn't exist?

In Part 1 of my conversation with Rob Bell, we talk about the certainty trap — that place where overthinking becomes a way to avoid living. About navigating the messy middle of major life changes when you're waiting to feel sure before you move. For anyone paralyzed by "What if I'm wrong?" and terrified to make a choice without a guarantee.

Rob shares why religious systems train us to crave certainty, how faith transition breaks that addiction, and what it means to move forward without knowing if you're right. You'll hear why anxiety multiplies when we demand answers the universe isn't giving, how to hold grief for the version of yourself that needed to know, and why starting over means learning to live in the question.

In this episode:

- Why overthinking is often a search for certainty that doesn't exist

- How anxiety spikes when we refuse to move without guarantees

- The grief of letting go of black-and-white thinking

- Faith transition and the loss of religious certainty

- Navigating major life changes without knowing if you're doing it right

- Learning to trust yourself in the unknown

- Boundaries around who gets to define your faith

- Emotional regulation when you can't have all the answers

This is Part 1. In Part 2, we get more practical about self-trust, embodiment, and choosing without certainty.

Follow the show so you don’t miss Part 2—and share this with a friend who’s in the messy middle.

Get Connected & Support the Show:

- Listen to the companion podcast: It's Both- Guided Meditations for Anxiety, Emotional Regulation, & Real Life Transitions