Wayfaring Wednesday

Walking on Eggshells Lately?

Yeah… that feeling usually means something.

Let’s talk plainly for a minute.

Most of us have heard the phrase “walking on eggshells” in the context of toxic or abusive relationships. It’s one of the most talked-about red flags for a reason.

You’re constantly monitoring:

• Your tone

• Your words

• Your timing

• Their mood

Not because you’re unsure—but because they’re volatile. One wrong move and things explode. So you shrink. You adapt. You manage them instead of living your own life.

And here’s the thing we don’t say often enough:

👉 That same dynamic is showing up everywhere right now.

When the world starts to feel like the toxic person

Decisions feel weird—not hard in a spreadsheet way, but in a
“why does everything feel slightly off?” way.

It’s like standing on a playground while kids run in every direction and someone keeps yelling conflicting instructions from the sidelines:

Do this.
No—don’t do that.
Actually, here’s the better way.
Wait. Never mind.

Sound familiar?

Why everything feels crazy-making

A few big things are colliding all at once:

• The political environment feels rocky no matter where you land

• Ethics feel gray where they used to feel clearer

• AI is suddenly everywhere—writing, selling, persuading, shaping perception

• Truth feels slippery, like arrows missing the target even when they’re aimed carefully

Add salespeople pushing agendas, media shouting extremes, algorithms rewarding outrage—and suddenly you’re asking:

“Who actually has my best interest in mind?”

And sometimes the honest answer feels like… no one.

This is where the red flags matter

In toxic relationships, the red flags aren’t just anger or control. They’re subtler:

• Contradictory messages

• Moving goalposts

• Being told you’re overreacting when something feels wrong

• Pressure to decide quickly

• Punishment through silence or ghosting

Now zoom out.

When information contradicts itself constantly…
When systems talk at you instead of with you…
When clarity is replaced with urgency…

Your nervous system responds the same way it would with a volatile person.

You hesitate.
You second-guess yourself.
You stop trusting your own instincts.

That’s not weakness. That’s self-protection.

When reality feels distorted

Here’s the part people rarely say out loud:

It can feel like we’re being low-key gaslit.
By tech.
By media.
By systems that benefit from confusion.

You try to do the right thing. You expect honesty. And then you get ghosted—
in business,
in partnerships,
in conversations you thought were solid.

That’s disorienting. And exhausting.

So how do we make good decisions anyway?

Not by being perfect.
Not by reacting faster.
But by getting grounded.

This is where we can make change—and where values like community—quietly shine.

We can:

• Talk things through face-to-face

• Take a minute before making a call

• Ask follow-up questions instead of reacting

Walks. Benches. Playground conversations. Back-road drives.
They slow the spin of the merry-go-round so truth can catch up.

Clarity tips when everything feels loud

Nothing fancy. Just steady truth:

• If you feel rushed, pause

• If information contradicts itself, slow down

• If something feels off, trust that signal

• If clarity requires pressure, it probably isn’t clarity

Healthy decisions don’t demand urgency.
Healthy people don’t need you to walk on eggshells.

Trust is built through consistency, not volume.

Final thought (playground wisdom)

If everything feels chaotic, it doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong.
It might mean you’re paying attention.

Sometimes the strongest move isn’t a leap—it’s sitting on the bench, watching what’s real, and waiting until your body, mind, and values line up.

No rush.
No pressure.
Just truth—when it comes.

A personal note

This year, I’m chasing calm.
Quiet connections.
Real conversations.
Authentic living.

Not instant. Not flashy.

I want to elevate my life with integrity so I can be a steady anchor—for my husband, my kids, my church community, my friends, my clients, and my business relationships.

Because clarity isn’t loud.
And peace doesn’t require eggshells.

Not Everything Needs an Audience

Why wisdom often looks like a smaller circle

We live in a time where oversharing is almost expected.

Social media invites us to narrate our lives in real time. Group chats blur lines. Vulnerability gets rewarded with likes. And somewhere along the way, the idea quietly crept in that being open means being open with everyone.

But that’s not actually how trust works.

A gentle reminder

You don’t owe everyone your story.
You don’t need a large audience to live authentically.
You don’t have to explain yourself to feel understood.

Some moments are meant for a bench, a quiet walk, or a trusted few who can hold what’s heavy without mishandling it.

Even Jesus modeled that.

And sometimes the most loving, grounded thing you can do—for yourself and for others—is to keep your circle small, your words careful, and your trust well placed.

Warren Buffett has a famous saying:

“Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.”

For years, the real estate market carried everyone.

Rising prices covered weak strategy. Demand masked poor marketing. Speed replaced skill.

Now, the tide is going out.

Today’s market reveals who is operating with structure, training, and real systems—and who was relying on momentum instead of mastery.

For you as a homeowner, this matters.

Selling now requires more than familiarity or past success. It requires a representative who understands current contracts, negotiates in today’s climate, markets beyond the obvious channels, and has the depth to adjust when conditions shift.

When the market is calm, everyone looks capable.

When it’s complex, competence shows.

The question isn’t who sold homes when it was easy.

It’s who knows how to protect your value when it’s not.

Sandra Burkholder, EXP Realty
Licensed Real Estate Agent since 2000
Serving Lancaster, Chester, Berks, and York County, PA

Connecting you to your dream home and the heart of the community with a professional yet approachable touch.

www.sandraburkholder.com | www.wayfaringlancaster.com
[email protected] | [email protected]

Not intended to solicit any properties already listed for sale with another real estate agent. If your home is already for sale, then please disregard this message.

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