Embracing Uncertainty

There's a quote by Heraclitus that says: "The only thing that is constant is change."

I guess this leaves us with a lot of uncertainty in life, huh? 

If you think about it, there’s uncertainty in all seasons of life.  Getting married, having children, buying a home, changing positions, changing careers, and moving are just to name a few.

So my question is...how do we proactively embrace uncertainty?

For me, here's 3 "must-do's" to tolerate the ebb and flow of life:

1)   Know your strengths.  Knowing my strengths allows me to understand how I think, feel, and behave.  It's the lens I see the world through.  This gives me a better understanding of how I can self-manage and remain confident even when I am faced with the unknown.  Let me give you an example:

Starting a new business can be scary but knowing my top 5 Strengths has given me the tools to     handle the unexpected.  When situations arise that are unfamiliar I use my learner to understand and research every aspect of the situation.  My restorative  (problem-solver theme) allows me to come up with many different outcomes instead of just one-way of thinking.  My discipline helps me create a structure and process for each outcome.  My responsibility knows that whatever outcome this situation will have I can trust myself to take action and do it well all while having a positive outlook- my positivity.

2)   "Lean in" to complimentary relationships.  We were not created to “do” life alone.  This is where complimentary partnerships are key.  Having a strong social network can help combat those emotions associated with uncertainty: stress, anxiety, and depression.  According to Gallup, a person is 30 times more likely to laugh when he’s with somebody than when he is alone.  Another great benefit to complimentary partnerships is the world in which we see our lives is not the same world our friends see.  They might see the situation more clearly than you see yourself.  Lean in and lean on!

3)   Do the downward dog and breath. According to Paul J. Whalen, when you feel uncertain, your amygdala—an almond-shaped structure located in your temporal lobes—revs you up by signaling to the rest of the brain that a fight-or-flight response might be needed. The prefrontal cortex in turn receives the alarm call from the amygdala and can agree and take action or recognize that there’s no cause for concern and quell the amygdala. But sometimes it isn’t able to control the amygdala on its own. When you feel that anxiety, you need to engage the prefrontal cortex directly. How do you do that?  Meditation, therapy, or yoga.

Find this helpful?  How do you deal with uncertainty?  Leave us a comment below!