Dealing With Uncertainty Is Hard! Should You Resist or Accept It?
I’m amazed at how much uncertainty we have to handle over our entire lives!
The Pandemic and my entrepreneurial journey might have exacerbated the issue. Still, overall, despite all the planning and scenario-building, I’ve been wrong more than once in assessing potential outcomes.
From which school I’d get in, to the career I’d pursue, to the biggest joys I’d experience, I’ve had quite a few surprises - good and bad!
When I was younger, my strategy to cope with that uncertainty was to think everything would be ok and hope for the best. That’s my optimistic nature! But admittedly, as unavoidable failures built up, such an approach dangerously eroded my confidence.
I then turned to the practice of expecting the worst. At least, the outcome wouldn’t disappoint me. Or so I thought... This strategy left me numb and quite uncomfortable. I grew unable to appreciate these small slices of happiness and serenity, convinced another disaster was around the corner.
So, how am I handling uncertainty these days? Like many of us, I am not into mindfulness meditation and have not reached the ultimate non-judgmental level yet. At that stage, you accept whatever life throws at you. It’s neither good nor bad. It just is.
Yet, I keep improving on how I deal with uncertainty. Here’s how:
First, I’m training my mind to recognize when uncertainty hits. I avoid jumping to conclusions (positive or negative, as I highlighted above).
Second, I’m consciously accepting the situation without losing my nerves over it. It’s here, and that’s a fact.
Third, I’m trying to establish a state of non-resistance. Good or bad, reality can’t be undone, and resisting it will not help. Of course, if someone is stepping on my toes, I should defend myself. But accepting it has occurred will drive a better answer.
It's tough. There are good and bad days.
But with practice, you stop magnifying all the problems and uncertainty that surround you. You stop creating issues that don’t exist, and you realize the present inconvenience will pass and get sorted out.
So, stop resisting. Embrace that uncertainty!