Facing Uncertainty

I’ll be honest… I nearly didn’t write this.

March has felt like one of those months where uncertainty wasn’t just something I was talking about with clients - it was something I was living, breathing, and navigating in real time.

And maybe you’ve felt that too.

Not always in big, dramatic ways… but in the quieter moments: When you’re trying to make a decision and nothing feels clear. When the world feels heavy, unpredictable, or overwhelming. When you notice your energy dipping and you’re not quite sure why.

I’ve had moments like that this month.

Moments where I’ve caught myself overthinking, trying to “figure it all out,” or feeling that subtle undercurrent of unease that’s hard to name.

And what I’ve come to realise is this:

Uncertainty doesn’t just challenge our plans… It challenges our sense of safety.

When the World Feels Unsteady

We’re living in times where there’s a lot happening - globally, socially, economically and even if we’re not directly impacted, our nervous system still feels it.

It seeps into our daily lives: Into our work Into our relationships Into how we show up for ourselves

And sometimes, without even realising it, we start holding our breath… waiting for things to settle.

But what if things don’t settle in the way we expect?

What Has Been Grounding Me

One thing I’ve been very conscious of this month is grounding - not as something I do occasionally, but as a daily practice.

I notice when my mind starts to wander too far ahead, trying to solve everything at once… and I gently bring myself back.

Back to what’s in front of me. Back to what I can do today.

Staying focused on what I have to do - one step at a time - has been a quiet anchor.

Working with my clients has also been a deeply grounding force for me each day.

Holding space for them in their challenges, walking alongside them as they navigate their struggles, and finding ways together to support their wellbeing… it’s a reminder of what truly matters.

And in supporting them, I’m reminded - again and again - to honour my own needs too.

Finding Steadiness in Movement

Another unexpected gift this month has been preparing for the Camino, which I’ll be walking next week.

Being “in training” has brought me back to something I’ve always loved - long hikes, fresh air, and that simple rhythm of putting one foot in front of the other.

There’s something incredibly grounding about walking.

It clears the mind. It softens the noise. It reconnects me - not just to nature, but to myself.

And just as importantly, it’s reminded me how vital connection is.

The small conversations, the shared smiles, the sense of being part of something bigger - we need that as human beings.

As I look ahead to this journey, I feel a sense of excitement… not just for the walk itself, but for what it represents.

Space. Freedom. Permission to simply be.

Conversations That Stayed With Me This Month

I’ve also had the privilege of speaking with some truly inspiring guests on 'The Sharon Fitzmaurice Podcast' this month - each of them a reminder of the strength of the human spirit, even in the face of uncertainty and adversity.

From Patrick Dempsey, sharing his journey as a double lung transplant recipient, to Dr Janine van Someren sharing for the first time - her own personal story of panic attacks and the release of her new book in April, Tim Sharp challenging how we think about leadership and the future of work, Andy Steele speaking openly about PTSD recovery, and Siobhan Keenan Fitzgerald amplifying the voices of children as the change makers of the future.

Each conversation has been a grounding moment in itself - a reminder that even in uncertain times, resilience, courage, and hope continue to rise. You can listen here to all these wonderful conversations.

A Gentle Reminder

If you’re feeling the weight of uncertainty right now, you’re not alone.

You don’t need to have everything figured out. You don’t need to rush to clarity.

Maybe it’s about coming back - gently to yourself. To what is here. To what is steady.

A breath. A step. A moment of awareness.

And trusting that, even in uncertain times, you can create your own sense of grounding within.

As I step into my Camino journey next week, I’m leaning into that trust - allowing myself the space to walk, to reflect, and to simply be.

I’d love to bring you along in some small way… and share what unfolds along the path.

you can follow my journey over on instagram

Sharon Fitzmaurice

Upcoming Events

Honouring The Stories That Shape Us

Some stories are written because they want to be told. Others are written because they need to be remembered. My guest on this week’s podcast, Jane Buckley, is a writer who carries both intentions close to her heart.

Born in Derry, Londonderry in Northern Ireland, Jane grew up during one of the most turbulent periods in Irish history – the Troubles, a conflict that shaped generations from the late 1960s until the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. For many, this era is a chapter spoken about in hushed tones, half-remembered or misunderstood. But for Jane, it was lived experience. It was childhood. It was home.

Writing to Remember, Writing to Heal

Jane’s powerful four-part book series, Stones Corner — Turmoil, Darkness, Light, and Hope brings readers right into the emotional core of that time. Although the characters and storylines are fictional, they are rooted in real events and lived realities. Through her writing, Jane shines a light on the human cost of conflict, the fear, the quiet acts of bravery, the divided streets, and the resilience that helped ordinary people survive extraordinary circumstances.

Her books don’t just tell a story, they honour a generation.
They invite readers to understand the Troubles not as a distant headline, but as something deeply human, personal, and still echoing today.

Jane writes to make sense of it all.
She writes to honour those who lived through it.
She writes so it will not be forgotten.

From Checkpoints to Imagination

During our conversation, Jane shared how ordinary life was anything but ordinary. Passing armed checkpoints. Being warned not to speak to children from “the other side.” Navigating a world divided not just by politics, but by fear.

And yet, she still found escape - not in place, but in books and swimming.

She buried herself in stories, long before she began writing them. That love of reading became the seed of her storytelling years later, proving once again how imagination can carry us through what reality cannot soften.

A New Chapter: Project Children

Jane’s next work returns to the theme of hope, this time through a true story many have never heard. Between the 1970s and 1990s, a US initiative called Project Children flew 23,000 children from across the Northern Irish divide to America. For a few weeks every summer, they lived in peace, welcomed by families who simply wanted to offer safety, possibility, and normal childhood memories.

It wasn’t a political movement. It was a human one, changing lives not through speeches or treaties, but through compassion. One child. One home. One summer at a time.

Jane is writing this story not only to honour the people behind it, but so her own grandchildren in New Zealand will one day know where she came from, and more importantly, the strength, solidarity, and hope that existed even in the darkest times.

Why Stories Like Jane’s Matter

As we spoke, I found myself reflecting on how many people only know history through a single perspective, a headline, or a distant documentary - never through the voices of those who lived it.

Jane’s work reminds us that storytelling is a bridge. Even when told through fiction, truth finds a way through. And when we listen to stories that challenge our assumptions, something powerful happens, we expand our understanding, and healing becomes possible.

We cannot rewrite the past, but we can learn from it.
We can choose to listen.
We can choose to open our hearts.
We can choose to make sure these stories are never buried again.

🎧 Listen to the Full Conversation

If this story speaks to you, if you are curious about the human side of history, the power of storytelling, or the resilience of the Irish spirit, I invite you to listen to my full conversation with Jane Buckley on the podcast.

Her wisdom, warmth, and honesty will stay with you long after the episode ends.

Click here to listen now.

Sharon Fitzmaurice

Sharon Fitzmaurice is a Holistic Wellness Coach, Reiki Master Teacher & Practitioner, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Speaker, and Host of The Sharon Fitzmaurice Podcast. She is the author of Someone Please Help Me, So I Did and Awaken Your Wellbeing, and the founder of Soulful Journeys Online Community.

A passionate advocate for mental health awareness and survivors of childhood abuse, Sharon’s mission is to inspire others to heal, grow, and reconnect with their authentic selves. Through her work, writing, and conversations, she reminds us that within every story lies the power to transform and rise.

Adapting to Life's challenges

There are some stories that reach into the very core of your being, stories that don’t just move you, but awaken something inside. My recent podcast conversation with Tracy Martin was one of those moments.

By the age of fifteen, Tracy had already experienced profound loss, both her parents gone before she had even finished growing up. Just three years later, a life-altering car accident changed everything. At eighteen, she was left a paraplegic, grieving the loss of her then-boyfriend who died in the crash, and their unborn child.

To sit across from Tracy and listen to her speak with such honesty, strength, and grace was a humbling experience. Her story is not one of simple survival, it is one of continual adaptation. She had to learn to live in a body that no longer felt like her own, to rebuild a life after unimaginable pain, and to find purpose where only loss once existed.

As I listened, I found myself reflecting on my own younger self, the part of me who once lived in survival mode. When we face trauma, whether it’s the pain of abuse, loss, or any kind of deep suffering, our instinct is to protect ourselves. Our brains and bodies move into survival mode, doing whatever it takes to keep us safe. But survival, while necessary in the moment, isn’t a place we are meant to stay forever.

Living in survival becomes exhausting. It narrows our world and limits our capacity for joy, love, and connection. The real healing begins when we start to unlearn the coping mechanisms that once kept us safe but now hold us back. We begin to adapt in new ways - ways that invite in trust, surrender, and courage.

This journey isn’t easy. It requires us to do the very thing that once felt impossible, to let go of control and allow life to hold us again. To believe that we can be more than what happened to us.

Tracy’s story is a testament to that truth. Through immense loss, she found the strength not only to keep living but to use her voice and creativity to inspire others. Her debut book, So Not Me, is loosely based on her own experiences and delves deeply into the themes of trauma, healing, and the power of human connection. It’s a reminder that even through pain, we can create meaning, that adaptation can lead us to transformation.

Listening to Tracy reminded me that adapting isn’t about forgetting who we were before the pain, it’s about allowing life to reshape us into who we are meant to become.

May we all find the courage, like Tracy, to adapt, to grow, and to keep choosing life - even when it breaks us open.

Listen to the full conversation here: What keeps you going when you are told - You will never walk again.

Sharon Fitzmaurice

Holistic Wellness Coach, Author & Podcast Host