Managing Uncertainty!

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"Uncertainty is the shadow that lingers on the edges of life and forces you to consider new possibilities." - Jacqueline Wales

Uncertainty is the grace we receive to explore possibilities, build future states, develop ideas, build relationships, and define our true state of being.

Uncertainty is a gift that is constantly renewable.

As a human being, we try to control our certainty. We seek safety. A home. A steady job. Financial security. Comfort in our relationships.

We resist change because it unsettles our idea of safety, which is a myth.

Safety is not the absence of danger.

True safety comes from our willingness to embrace the uncertainty and step outside of our comfort zone to find both personal and professional growth.

 The early Stoics believed that uncertainty is simply something that we have not yet fully understood, and when we can accept it as fundamentally normal, we open the door to greater opportunities.

I have been in a close relationship with uncertainty my entire life. I suspect you have done so too.

The constant hum of uncertainty rules over everything.

The choices made. The circumstances that interrupt the flow of expectations. The decisions that could have been better. The high costs of risks taken.

Inherent in stress, fear, anxiety and exhaustion is the sense we are trying to hard to get comfortable.

"The quality of our life is determined by how much uncertainty we can comfortably live with." - Tony Robbins

We try too hard to overcome the uncertain feelings, thoughts and circumstances that challenge us to be more, do more, live life better.

But here's the thing. It's difficult to achieve more if we don't stretch the limits of our understanding and stay open to other possibilities.

There Are No Guarantees in Life

Many desire to live life as if it were guaranteed.

There will be an education, a job, an income, family, friends, good health, food, vacation time.

The fundamentals of life.

But you can’t guarantee anything.

Not even life.

Uncertainty was the electric charge that ruled my family of origin.

My father was a dock worker in the 1950’s who was never guaranteed work.

He took his chances every day to be picked out from the crowd, and frequently came home early to hit the bottle and drown his sorrows.

He ruled the family with uncertainty.

We never knew when his mood would turn violent, so we kept our distance.

As a teenager, I left Edinburgh, Scotland at 16 for London. I was certain I had a boyfriend who would protect me.

It lasted less than 24 hours when uncertainty intervened and I was without a job, a home, and friends.

Uncertainty is Your Guide

My uncertain journey has taken me around the globe, and each stop along the way brought with it a good measure of uncertainty that would challenge my resourcefulness, my resilience, and my belief in self.

My long-term relationship with uncertainty has been the only constant I could depend on.

The gift of uncertainty has allowed me to experience the highest of the highs, and the lowest of the lows in life.

I have witnessed poverty and despair, great fear and rejection.

I have buried myself in self-doubt and made bad choices that left me without clear direction and my children temporarily motherless.

I have experienced great privilege and luxury that came with a cost.

Uncertainty is the shadow that lingers on the edges of life and forces you to consider new possibilities.

Embrace Uncertainty

I learned to love uncertainty unconditionally because uncertainty doesn’t have a condition. It simply is.

When we learn to embrace uncertainty it becomes the driver that allows you to discover what you really want from life, and discover new ways of being.

It gives you the courage to stay curious, open and defiant in the face of change.

Uncertainty has been the barometer that has led me to this moment and continues to hold me in thrall for the next adventure.

Uncertainty is the only sure thing in this kaleidoscope of life.

From Chaos to Clarity: Redefining Your Relationship to Uncertainty helps teams develop the insights and resilience to develop peak performance in their career and life. If you would like to learn more DM me for a 15-minute chat.

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