I once confided in a friend about my lack of growth on social media.

I had been going through this "dry spell," if you will, where nothing was performing well.

My engagement was down, and I was comparing myself to my peers, and honestly, to a past version of myself who seemed to get results so easily.

I remember so vividly what she told me.

She said, "No matter how hard you try, Anna, you can't MAKE this happen. Nobody can.”

In essence, it's out of our hands. We can put in the work, the reps, take all the classes, work with a coach — and still, the growth may never come.

There are no guarantees.

Her words should have made me feel powerless in that moment. But they didn't.

Instead, I felt this sense of relief.

Because in a way, it felt like the universe signaling to me: do what you can, and then let go. Stop forcing things so much. Stop trying to solve for your whole life in a single Substack post.