June 23, 2025 ā¢ 16 mins
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
There will be moments in life where the answers don't
come, where the future doesn'tunfold in a straight line, where
your prayers echo back withsilence and the people you
counted on disappear intoconfusion.
But what if I told you thatit's in those very moments the
gray, the uncertain, the foggywhere the deepest parts of your
(00:20):
power are born.
This episode is about negativecapability, a term that sounds
limiting but is actuallyliberating.
It's about how to remain rootedwhen nothing is resolved, how
to remain hopeful when there'sno resolution in sight, how to
thrive, not just survive, in thespiritual tension of the
unknown.
Because, let's be real, theworld is obsessed with certainty
(00:42):
, but your soul, your soul, wasbuilt to dance with mystery.
Before we go deeper, do me afavor Subscribe to Life Points
with Rhonda.
Wherever you listen to podcasts, share this episode with a
friend or loved one who's goingthrough a season of uncertainty.
Visit lifepointswithrhondacomto explore free gifts,
(01:03):
consultations and tools that canhelp you realign with your
purpose.
You can also find me on YouTube, life Points With Ronda and on
Instagram, facebook and Patreonunder at Life Points With Ronda.
Welcome back to Life Points WithRonda, where we're not just
talking about transformation,we're living it.
We're unpacking what it meansto become whole again in a
(01:26):
broken world.
And today's episode is going totake us into a space most
people try to avoid.
We're talking about ambiguity,mystery, the in-between, that
uncomfortable space where youdon't know what's next, where
the relationship is undefined,where the career isn't launching
fast enough, where the healingis an instant where God seems
(01:46):
quiet.
In spiritual terms, this is thewilderness.
In psychological terms, this isliminal space.
But today we're calling it byits true name negative
capability, a concept born frompoetry and now more relevant
than ever.
You don't need to be perfect,you don't need to have it all
figured out, but you do need tobuild the inner stamina to stand
(02:09):
in uncertainty without folding,because that is where elevation
begins.
What is negative capability?
Really, the hidden power inunanswered questions.
Let's clear this up right now.
The word negative in negativecapability doesn't mean bad, it
doesn't mean weak, it meansempty, it means open, it means
(02:33):
capable of holding what has noclear definition and still
moving with grace.
This term was coined by Englishpoet John Keats in 1817.
He described it as when aperson is capable of being in
uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching
after fact and reason.
Read that again.
(02:53):
It's the exact opposite of howmost of us are conditioned to
function.
We want facts, we want closure,we want guarantees, we want
things to make sense.
But, keats, and honestly, everyspiritually grounded elder
who's ever walked in real faithis saying that there's a deeper
wisdom in learning to sit in thefog without forcing it to clear
(03:15):
.
Examples of negative capabilitya woman who just left a toxic
relationship, not rushing tofind the one, but learning how
to be with herself in themeantime.
A man starting a business withno roadmap, trusting his
instincts over external proof.
A grieving parent who no longerhas answers but refuses to
(03:35):
harden their heart.
An artist painting throughheartbreak, not waiting for
clarity to create.
These people aren't confused,they're expanding.
Negative capability isemotional, spiritual maturity,
it's soul patience.
It's the quiet strength to sayI don't know what's next and I'm
okay anyway.
Why we're taught to fearuncertainty and how that hurts
(03:58):
us?
From the moment we enter school, we are trained to believe that
answers equal safety, thatbeing smart means being certain,
that being right means beingworthy.
But let's be real.
How many times has life made aliar out of your plans?
Our society runs on illusionthe illusion that clarity equals
(04:18):
control.
The illusion that discomfort isdanger, the illusion that if
you don't have it figured out by30, 40, 50, you failed.
That's a lie.
Life isn't a multiple choicetest.
It's not about choosing betweenA, b or C.
It's about learning how tobreathe when there's no option
at all, just a blank line andyour faith holding the pen.
(04:39):
We fear uncertainty because wewere never taught how to honor
it, how to lean into the beautyof the becoming process, how to
let a question live in uswithout needing to rip it open
for an answer.
Think of a seed undergroundit's not dead, it's developing,
but to someone rushing it lookslike nothing's happening.
That's what negative capabilityhonors.
It says the timeline may beinvisible, but the growth is
(05:03):
inevitable.
How to practice negativecapability in real life without
losing your mind?
Let's keep it real.
Uncertainty can feel likeemotional quicksand.
One minute you're calm, thenext your mind is spiraling with
what ifs?
You want to be grounded, butyour nervous system wants
certainty.
That's's human, that's natural,but it's not the end of your
(05:25):
story.
So how do we practice negativecapability in a way that's
honest and sustainable?
Let's talk lifestyle, nottheory, embodiment.
Step one speak safety to yourspirit.
When you're in the fog, yourmind will default to panic.
So you must become your ownemotional anchor.
(05:45):
Create spiritual affirmationsthat acknowledge the unknown
without demonizing it.
Say to yourself I'm allowed tobe unsure and still move forward
.
My future is forming, even if Ican't see it yet.
There is wisdom in this pause.
These aren't just affirmations.
They're interruptions to afear-based thought loop.
(06:07):
Step two ritualize the fog.
Every spiritual system has away of making the invisible
sacred.
In IFA, we know the power ofpatience, offering and alignment
.
So create a ritual around yourwaiting period.
Try this.
Light a white candle duringuncertain times.
Let it represent claritybecoming.
(06:28):
Write your questions in ajournal, but don't demand
answers, just witness them.
Brew calming herbal teas withintention Mugwort, chamomile or
passion flower Herbs that invitethe dream space to whisper
answers instead of forcing logic.
Turn the not knowing intosomething sacred, a divine
container.
(06:50):
Step three train your nervoussystem for the unknown.
Sometimes the anxiety isn'tspiritual, it's somatic.
Your body is triggered.
You can't journal your way outof a racing heartbeat, but you
can regulate.
Try this Put one hand on yourheart, the other on your belly,
breathe deeply, tap your sternumand repeat I am here, I am
(07:14):
grounded, I am safe.
Move your body.
Walk slowly, stretch, do 30seconds of dancing Cold water on
your face.
Trust me, this calms your vagusnerve immediately.
We don't talk about this enough.
But faith without embodimentwill collapse under pressure.
Train your spirit and yournervous system to partner in
(07:36):
uncertainty.
Step four move with microdecisions.
People get stuck because they'rewaiting on huge clarity.
But clarity doesn't always comein one flash.
Sometimes it comes in steps.
Don't ask what's my lifepurpose.
Ask what's one aligned action Ican take today.
(07:57):
Negative capability doesn't meandoing nothing.
It means doing what you can,even if you don't yet see the
why.
Water the plant, post the video, apply for the class.
You don't need to see the wholestaircase.
Just trust the rhythm of thenext step, how this transforms
your relationships.
Just trust the rhythm of thenext step, how this transforms
your relationships romantic,platonic, familial.
(08:22):
Let's expand here, because thisis where most people fall apart
emotionally.
Relationships are where ourcraving for certainty shows up
the loudest.
You want to know where this isgoing, if they feel the same, if
it's safe to be vulnerable, ifthey'll stay.
But here's the truth thedeepest love is not always
instant certainty.
It's the willingness to remainopen even when the path is still
forming.
(08:42):
Let's explore how negativecapability plays out in love, in
romantic relationships.
When we don't know what we are,we panic.
But negative capability teachesus to communicate our needs
without forcing outcomes.
It says I don't need topressure you into defining this
right now, but I can stillexpress my feelings and observe
(09:04):
how you show up.
It invites us to stop trying toforce clarity and instead
observe compatibility, to stopseeking emotional contracts and
start witnessing emotionalconsistency In friendships.
Not every friend can always beavailable.
Not every disagreement has tobe solved in one phone call.
(09:25):
Sometimes love looks like givingpeople room to grow, grieve or
process without cutting them off.
You don't abandon a bond justbecause it enters ambiguity.
You hold it, you water it, youcommunicate.
You remain soft and sturdy atthe same time.
In family, especially inhealing from childhood trauma or
(09:45):
generational dysfunction,negative capability allows us to
say I don't know if thisrelationship will ever be what I
hoped for, but I can stillrelease the pain, set boundaries
and choose how I show up.
It's emotional mastery, notemotional avoidance.
You are allowed to stand in themiddle of a painful family
(10:06):
dynamic, claim your peace andstop demanding closure that may
never come, because closure issometimes a choice, not a gift.
Negative capability lets loveevolve on its own terms.
It lets you release your gripand still remain grounded in
grace, thriving in businesspurpose and the invisible grind
of becoming.
(10:26):
This is the one your listenersin transition need to hear.
Let's get real.
That brand you're building thatpodcast.
You're trying to grow real.
That brand you're building thatpodcast.
You're trying to grow thatspiritual service, boutique,
healing product, song, course orbook.
There will be long periods ofsilence.
You'll post and no one willcomment.
(10:51):
You'll launch and nobody willbuy.
You'll pray and there will beno sign.
And that's the moment mostpeople walk away right before
the breakthrough will be no signand that's the moment most
people walk away right beforethe breakthrough.
Negative capability is yourability to keep building in
silence, to believe withoutexternal proof, to keep planting
seeds without needing to seesprouts by morning.
Here's the truth.
Most of your growth won't bevisible.
Most of your favor will comethrough unseen alignment.
(11:13):
Most of your audience abundanceunseen alignment.
Most of your audience abundanceand opportunities will come
after your faith has alreadybeen tested.
So when your business feelsslow, ask am I still in
alignment?
Am I showing up from love orfear, am I building something
that matters, even if it's notpopular?
Yet?
Negative capability teaches youto fall in love with the process
(11:36):
, not just the results, to workfrom worthiness, not from fear,
not from ego, not fromdesperation.
You were called, you werechosen.
You don't need a trendinghashtag to prove it.
You were built for the fog, thefire and the future.
Let me tell you this If you'relistening right now, unsure of
(11:56):
what's next, tired of waiting,wondering if you missed your
window, you didn't.
You are exactly where you'remeant to be In the fog, in the
fire, in the not.
Yet you are still held.
In the fire, in the not.
Yet you are still held.
Negative capability is not justa mindset, it's a soul strategy.
It is the proof that you canHold tension without shutting
(12:17):
down, navigate grief withoutrushing to numbness, walk in
mystery without losing yourlight.
Your value is not found in yourclarity.
It's found in your capacityCapacity to love, even when it's
unclear.
Capacity to love even when it'sunclear.
Capacity to serve, even whenit's quiet.
Capacity to hope, even whenit's hard.
So I want you to ask yourselfright now can I be present in
(12:41):
this moment, even if I don'tknow the next one, because when
you master that, you becomelimitless.
If this episode reached yoursoul, don't just listen and
leave.
Let it be a marker in yourjourney.
Let it be a tool in yourtoolbox.
Subscribe to Life Points withRhonda on Apple Podcasts,
(13:04):
spotify or wherever you'relistening right now.
Visit lifepointswithrhondacomfor your free consultation,
downloads and exclusive podcasttools.
Watch and engage on YouTubeLife Points with Ronda.
Follow me on Instagram,facebook and Patreon at Life
Points with Ronda.
Book a one-on-one relationshipor life alignment session via
the site, or email me atLifePointsWithRonda at gmailcom.
(13:27):
And remember, you don't need toknow the full path to take the
next step.
Just breathe, trust your Ori.
So Thank you, so Thank you you.
There will be moments in life where the answers don't
come, where the future doesn'tunfold in a straight line, where
your prayers echo back withsilence and the people you
counted on disappear intoconfusion.
But what if I told you thatit's in those very moments the
gray, the uncertain, the foggywhere the deepest parts of your
(00:20):
power are born.
This episode is about negativecapability, a term that sounds
limiting but is actuallyliberating.
It's about how to remain rootedwhen nothing is resolved, how
to remain hopeful when there'sno resolution in sight, how to
thrive, not just survive, in thespiritual tension of the
unknown.
Because, let's be real, theworld is obsessed with certainty
(00:42):
, but your soul, your soul, wasbuilt to dance with mystery.
Before we go deeper, do me afavor Subscribe to Life Points
with Rhonda.
Wherever you listen to podcasts, share this episode with a
friend or loved one who's goingthrough a season of uncertainty.
Visit lifepointswithrhondacomto explore free gifts,
(01:03):
consultations and tools that canhelp you realign with your
purpose.
You can also find me on YouTube, life Points With Ronda and on
Instagram, facebook and Patreonunder at Life Points With Ronda.
Welcome back to Life Points WithRonda, where we're not just
talking about transformation,we're living it.
We're unpacking what it meansto become whole again in a
(01:26):
broken world.
And today's episode is going totake us into a space most
people try to avoid.
We're talking about ambiguity,mystery, the in-between, that
uncomfortable space where youdon't know what's next, where
the relationship is undefined,where the career isn't launching
fast enough, where the healingis an instant where God seems
(01:46):
quiet.
In spiritual terms, this is thewilderness.
In psychological terms, this isliminal space.
But today we're calling it byits true name negative
capability, a concept born frompoetry and now more relevant
than ever.
You don't need to be perfect,you don't need to have it all
figured out, but you do need tobuild the inner stamina to stand
(02:09):
in uncertainty without folding,because that is where elevation
begins.
What is negative capability?
Really, the hidden power inunanswered questions.
Let's clear this up right now.
The word negative in negativecapability doesn't mean bad, it
doesn't mean weak, it meansempty, it means open, it means
(02:33):
capable of holding what has noclear definition and still
moving with grace.
This term was coined by Englishpoet John Keats in 1817.
He described it as when aperson is capable of being in
uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching
after fact and reason.
Read that again.
(02:53):
It's the exact opposite of howmost of us are conditioned to
function.
We want facts, we want closure,we want guarantees, we want
things to make sense.
But, keats, and honestly, everyspiritually grounded elder
who's ever walked in real faithis saying that there's a deeper
wisdom in learning to sit in thefog without forcing it to clear
(03:15):
.
Examples of negative capabilitya woman who just left a toxic
relationship, not rushing tofind the one, but learning how
to be with herself in themeantime.
A man starting a business withno roadmap, trusting his
instincts over external proof.
A grieving parent who no longerhas answers but refuses to
(03:35):
harden their heart.
An artist painting throughheartbreak, not waiting for
clarity to create.
These people aren't confused,they're expanding.
Negative capability isemotional, spiritual maturity,
it's soul patience.
It's the quiet strength to sayI don't know what's next and I'm
okay anyway.
Why we're taught to fearuncertainty and how that hurts
(03:58):
us?
From the moment we enter school, we are trained to believe that
answers equal safety, thatbeing smart means being certain,
that being right means beingworthy.
But let's be real.
How many times has life made aliar out of your plans?
Our society runs on illusionthe illusion that clarity equals
(04:18):
control.
The illusion that discomfort isdanger, the illusion that if
you don't have it figured out by30, 40, 50, you failed.
That's a lie.
Life isn't a multiple choicetest.
It's not about choosing betweenA, b or C.
It's about learning how tobreathe when there's no option
at all, just a blank line andyour faith holding the pen.
(04:39):
We fear uncertainty because wewere never taught how to honor
it, how to lean into the beautyof the becoming process, how to
let a question live in uswithout needing to rip it open
for an answer.
Think of a seed undergroundit's not dead, it's developing,
but to someone rushing it lookslike nothing's happening.
That's what negative capabilityhonors.
It says the timeline may beinvisible, but the growth is
(05:03):
inevitable.
How to practice negativecapability in real life without
losing your mind?
Let's keep it real.
Uncertainty can feel likeemotional quicksand.
One minute you're calm, thenext your mind is spiraling with
what ifs?
You want to be grounded, butyour nervous system wants
certainty.
That's's human, that's natural,but it's not the end of your
(05:25):
story.
So how do we practice negativecapability in a way that's
honest and sustainable?
Let's talk lifestyle, nottheory, embodiment.
Step one speak safety to yourspirit.
When you're in the fog, yourmind will default to panic.
So you must become your ownemotional anchor.
(05:45):
Create spiritual affirmationsthat acknowledge the unknown
without demonizing it.
Say to yourself I'm allowed tobe unsure and still move forward
.
My future is forming, even if Ican't see it yet.
There is wisdom in this pause.
These aren't just affirmations.
They're interruptions to afear-based thought loop.
(06:07):
Step two ritualize the fog.
Every spiritual system has away of making the invisible
sacred.
In IFA, we know the power ofpatience, offering and alignment
.
So create a ritual around yourwaiting period.
Try this.
Light a white candle duringuncertain times.
Let it represent claritybecoming.
(06:28):
Write your questions in ajournal, but don't demand
answers, just witness them.
Brew calming herbal teas withintention Mugwort, chamomile or
passion flower Herbs that invitethe dream space to whisper
answers instead of forcing logic.
Turn the not knowing intosomething sacred, a divine
container.
(06:50):
Step three train your nervoussystem for the unknown.
Sometimes the anxiety isn'tspiritual, it's somatic.
Your body is triggered.
You can't journal your way outof a racing heartbeat, but you
can regulate.
Try this Put one hand on yourheart, the other on your belly,
breathe deeply, tap your sternumand repeat I am here, I am
(07:14):
grounded, I am safe.
Move your body.
Walk slowly, stretch, do 30seconds of dancing Cold water on
your face.
Trust me, this calms your vagusnerve immediately.
We don't talk about this enough.
But faith without embodimentwill collapse under pressure.
Train your spirit and yournervous system to partner in
(07:36):
uncertainty.
Step four move with microdecisions.
People get stuck because they'rewaiting on huge clarity.
But clarity doesn't always comein one flash.
Sometimes it comes in steps.
Don't ask what's my lifepurpose.
Ask what's one aligned action Ican take today.
(07:57):
Negative capability doesn't meandoing nothing.
It means doing what you can,even if you don't yet see the
why.
Water the plant, post the video, apply for the class.
You don't need to see the wholestaircase.
Just trust the rhythm of thenext step, how this transforms
your relationships.
Just trust the rhythm of thenext step, how this transforms
your relationships romantic,platonic, familial.
(08:22):
Let's expand here, because thisis where most people fall apart
emotionally.
Relationships are where ourcraving for certainty shows up
the loudest.
You want to know where this isgoing, if they feel the same, if
it's safe to be vulnerable, ifthey'll stay.
But here's the truth thedeepest love is not always
instant certainty.
It's the willingness to remainopen even when the path is still
forming.
(08:42):
Let's explore how negativecapability plays out in love, in
romantic relationships.
When we don't know what we are,we panic.
But negative capability teachesus to communicate our needs
without forcing outcomes.
It says I don't need topressure you into defining this
right now, but I can stillexpress my feelings and observe
(09:04):
how you show up.
It invites us to stop trying toforce clarity and instead
observe compatibility, to stopseeking emotional contracts and
start witnessing emotionalconsistency In friendships.
Not every friend can always beavailable.
Not every disagreement has tobe solved in one phone call.
(09:25):
Sometimes love looks like givingpeople room to grow, grieve or
process without cutting them off.
You don't abandon a bond justbecause it enters ambiguity.
You hold it, you water it, youcommunicate.
You remain soft and sturdy atthe same time.
In family, especially inhealing from childhood trauma or
(09:45):
generational dysfunction,negative capability allows us to
say I don't know if thisrelationship will ever be what I
hoped for, but I can stillrelease the pain, set boundaries
and choose how I show up.
It's emotional mastery, notemotional avoidance.
You are allowed to stand in themiddle of a painful family
(10:06):
dynamic, claim your peace andstop demanding closure that may
never come, because closure issometimes a choice, not a gift.
Negative capability lets loveevolve on its own terms.
It lets you release your gripand still remain grounded in
grace, thriving in businesspurpose and the invisible grind
of becoming.
(10:26):
This is the one your listenersin transition need to hear.
Let's get real.
That brand you're building thatpodcast.
You're trying to grow real.
That brand you're building thatpodcast.
You're trying to grow thatspiritual service, boutique,
healing product, song, course orbook.
There will be long periods ofsilence.
You'll post and no one willcomment.
(10:51):
You'll launch and nobody willbuy.
You'll pray and there will beno sign.
And that's the moment mostpeople walk away right before
the breakthrough will be no signand that's the moment most
people walk away right beforethe breakthrough.
Negative capability is yourability to keep building in
silence, to believe withoutexternal proof, to keep planting
seeds without needing to seesprouts by morning.
Here's the truth.
Most of your growth won't bevisible.
Most of your favor will comethrough unseen alignment.
(11:13):
Most of your audience abundanceunseen alignment.
Most of your audience abundanceand opportunities will come
after your faith has alreadybeen tested.
So when your business feelsslow, ask am I still in
alignment?
Am I showing up from love orfear, am I building something
that matters, even if it's notpopular?
Yet?
Negative capability teaches youto fall in love with the process
(11:36):
, not just the results, to workfrom worthiness, not from fear,
not from ego, not fromdesperation.
You were called, you werechosen.
You don't need a trendinghashtag to prove it.
You were built for the fog, thefire and the future.
Let me tell you this If you'relistening right now, unsure of
(11:56):
what's next, tired of waiting,wondering if you missed your
window, you didn't.
You are exactly where you'remeant to be In the fog, in the
fire, in the not.
Yet you are still held.
In the fire, in the not.
Yet you are still held.
Negative capability is not justa mindset, it's a soul strategy.
It is the proof that you canHold tension without shutting
(12:17):
down, navigate grief withoutrushing to numbness, walk in
mystery without losing yourlight.
Your value is not found in yourclarity.
It's found in your capacityCapacity to love, even when it's
unclear.
Capacity to love even when it'sunclear.
Capacity to serve, even whenit's quiet.
Capacity to hope, even whenit's hard.
So I want you to ask yourselfright now can I be present in
(12:41):
this moment, even if I don'tknow the next one, because when
you master that, you becomelimitless.
If this episode reached yoursoul, don't just listen and
leave.
Let it be a marker in yourjourney.
Let it be a tool in yourtoolbox.
Subscribe to Life Points withRhonda on Apple Podcasts,
(13:04):
spotify or wherever you'relistening right now.
Visit lifepointswithrhondacomfor your free consultation,
downloads and exclusive podcasttools.
Watch and engage on YouTubeLife Points with Ronda.
Follow me on Instagram,facebook and Patreon at Life
Points with Ronda.
Book a one-on-one relationshipor life alignment session via
the site, or email me atLifePointsWithRonda at gmailcom.
(13:27):
And remember, you don't need toknow the full path to take the
next step.
Just breathe, trust your Ori.
So Thank you, so Thank you you.
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