Category: Start Here

Not Everything Is a Problem to Solve

I used to treat almost everything I felt like something I needed to figure out.

If I felt anxious, I wanted to understand why.

If I felt overwhelmed, I wanted to fix the cause.

If I felt emotionally off, I assumed something needed to change.

I didn’t realize how automatic it had become.

My mind would immediately scan for solutions—even when nothing actually needed to be solved.

The pressure I didn’t notice

At the time, it felt responsible.

Like if I could just understand myself well enough, I could manage myself better.

But underneath that was a quiet pressure I was carrying all the time:

That every feeling had a reason.

That every discomfort needed an answer.

That every internal shift meant something was wrong that I had to correct.

And without realizing it, I started treating my inner world like a problem to constantly manage.

What I started noticing

Some of what I was trying to “solve” wasn’t actually a problem.

It was just:

fatigue

overstimulation

emotion moving through me

normal human stress

seasons of life that feel heavy

Not everything had a deeper issue behind it.

Not everything needed a fix.

But I was always reaching for one anyway.

What happens when everything becomes a problem

When you start labeling every feeling as something to solve, you stop just being with yourself.

You start:

analyzing instead of feeling

reacting instead of pausing

fixing instead of listening

And slowly, you become more disconnected from what’s actually happening inside you.

Not because you’re doing anything wrong…

But because you never stay long enough to just experience it.

What I’m learning now

I’m learning to pause before I turn everything into a problem.

To ask myself:

Is this something I actually need to solve… or something I just need to stay with?

Sometimes the answer is yes, there’s something to address.

But a lot of the time, the answer is no.

It’s just life happening inside me.

And I don’t need to fix it to move through it.

What it looks like to not solve everything

It looks like:

letting myself feel without immediately interpreting it

noticing discomfort without turning it into urgency

allowing emotions to pass without assigning meaning to every one

staying present instead of immediately trying to change something

It’s quieter than I expected.

Less reactive.

Less mental noise.

More space.

If you’re here

If you’ve spent a lot of your life trying to fix what you feel, understand yourself faster, or solve every internal shift…

You’re not alone in that.

I’m learning this too.

That not everything is a problem to solve.

Some things are just meant to be experienced.

And I’m learning how to stay with that.

Leigh Leigh

I Used To Think Peace Came After Fixing Everything

I used to believe peace was something I would reach once everything was fixed.

Once I understood it.

Once I improved it.

Once I got it under control.

If something felt off in my body, my emotions, my thoughts, or my life—I would immediately try to figure out what needed to change.

I thought that meant I was being responsible.

I thought that meant I was taking care of myself.

But what I didn’t realize at the time was how much pressure I was living under.

The pattern I didn’t see

My default response to discomfort was always the same:

Fix it.

Solve it.

Adjust it.

Move past it.

Even internally.

If I felt anxious, I tried to understand it.

If I felt tired, I tried to optimize it.

If something felt emotionally heavy, I tried to process it quickly so I could feel “okay” again.

I didn’t realize I wasn’t actually staying with myself.

I was constantly trying to move away from what I was feeling in order to fix it.

And over time, that became exhausting.

What I started noticing

The more I tried to fix everything, the more disconnected I felt from myself.

Not because anything was “wrong” with me…

But because I never stayed long enough to actually be present with what was happening.

I was always in motion internally.

Always adjusting.

Always analyzing.

Always trying to reach resolution.

But peace kept feeling further away.

Not closer.

What I’m learning instead

I’m learning something that has changed the way I move through my life:

Not everything is meant to be fixed immediately.

Some things are meant to be noticed.

Some things are meant to be felt.

Some things are meant to be lived through without rushing to resolve them.

Discomfort isn’t always a problem to solve.

Sometimes it’s just information.

Sometimes it’s just a moment passing through.

And I don’t have to fix it right away to be okay.

I can stay.

What peace is starting to look like now

Peace is no longer feeling like everything is in order.

It’s starting to feel like:

I don’t have to immediately fix what I feel

I can stay present without rushing to escape it

I can trust myself even when things feel unclear

I don’t have to resolve every discomfort to be okay

It’s quieter than I expected.

And slower.

If you’re here

If you’ve ever felt like you have to fix everything inside you just to feel okay…

I understand that.

I’m learning to unlearn that too.

And I’m still in it.

Still becoming.

Still learning how to stay.

Leigh Leigh

Why I started This Space (Held in the Middle)

There’s a place I keep finding myself in lately.

Not at the beginning of things.

Not at the end.

But in the middle.

The part where things are still unfolding.

Still unclear.

Still becoming.

For a long time, I didn’t know what to do with that space.

I thought the goal was always to move through it as quickly as possible. To fix it, understand it, improve it, and move on so I could feel steady again.

That was my pattern in almost everything.

If something felt off, I would try to correct it.

If I felt overwhelmed, I would try to manage it.

If I didn’t understand something, I would try to figure it out as quickly as possible.

I thought that’s how you create peace.

But over time, I started noticing something I couldn’t ignore anymore.

I wasn’t becoming more peaceful.

I was becoming more tired.

What I didn’t see at first

I used to believe peace came after resolution.

After I got it right.

After I figured it out.

After I improved it enough.

So I lived in a constant cycle of noticing discomfort and trying to fix it.

Even internally.

But the more I did that, the more disconnected I felt from myself.

I wasn’t actually staying with what I was feeling.

I was always moving away from it in order to fix it.

And that came at a cost.

What I’m learning now

I’m learning something that feels simple, but has changed how I move through my life.

Not everything is meant to be fixed immediately.

Not every feeling is a problem.

Not every moment of discomfort means something is wrong.

Sometimes it’s just life happening in real time.

And I don’t have to rush out of it to be okay.

I can stay.

Why “Held in the Middle”

This space is called Held in the Middle because that’s where I’ve been learning to live again.

In the middle of becoming and not yet being there.

In the middle of clarity and uncertainty.

In the middle of peace and discomfort.

In the middle of faith and unanswered questions.

Not at the extremes.

Not at arrival points.

But in the process.

And what I’m starting to understand is this:

Being in the middle doesn’t mean something is wrong.

It just means life is still unfolding.

What this space will be

This isn’t a place where I have everything figured out.

It’s a place where I’m learning to:

stop turning every discomfort into something I need to fix

stay present instead of constantly managing myself

listen to my body instead of overriding it

build a kind of peace that doesn’t depend on control

live my faith in the middle, not just after things are resolved

This space is less about answers, and more about awareness.

Less about fixing life, and more about staying with it.

If you’re here

You might be in your own middle too.

In a season where things feel unfinished.

Where you’re still becoming who you are.

Where you’re learning that peace might not come from fixing everything, but from learning how to stay even when things aren’t resolved.

If that’s you, you’re not alone here.

I’m still learning this too.

And this is where I’m writing from now.

To read the beginning of this series click here!

Leigh Leigh

Start Here

Learning to stay present in a chaotic life.

If you’re new here, I’m really glad you found your way to this space.

This blog—Held in the Middle—was created from a shift I’ve been living through in real time.

For a long time, I thought peace came after everything was fixed.

After I figured things out.

After I improved what felt off.

After I made sense of everything internally.

But life doesn’t stay resolved for long.

And I started noticing that constantly trying to fix everything wasn’t making me more peaceful…

It was making me more tired.

What this space is about

This is a space where I’m learning how to stay steady in my body, mind, and faith while real life keeps happening.

Not after everything is figured out.

Not once life calms down.

But right here—in the middle of it.

I’m learning:

how to stay present without turning every feeling into a problem to solve

how to listen to my body instead of constantly pushing through

how to hold faith even when things feel unclear

how to live everyday life without losing myself in it

This isn’t about having answers.

It’s about learning how to stay.

Where to begin

If you’re not sure where to start, these posts will give you a feel for what this space is about:

Why I Started This Space (Held in the Middle)

I Used to Think Peace Came After Fixing Everything

Not Everything Is a Problem to Solve

Explore by category

Everything here falls into four simple areas of life:

Body

Learning to listen instead of control.

Posts about energy, burnout, strength, and building a healthier relationship with my body.

Mind

Learning to stay instead of fix.

Posts about overthinking, emotional overwhelm, identity shifts, and nervous system awareness.

Faith

Learning to trust in the middle.

Posts about grace, uncertainty, and what it looks like to stay grounded in faith without having everything figured out.

Life

Where it all actually plays out.

Posts about motherhood, relationships, daily pressure, and the reality of living all of this in real life.

A note before you keep reading

I don’t write from a place of having it all together.

I write from the middle of learning.

From the moments where I still feel the pull to fix, control, or figure everything out…

and the moments where I’m learning to pause instead and stay.

Stay present.

Stay grounded.

Stay steady—even when things feel unfinished.

If any part of this resonates with you, you’re welcome to stay.

You don’t have to have everything figured out to begin.

Leigh Leigh