How to deal with uncertainty

I spoke to a well-known entrepreneur the other day.

She’s experienced many changes she didn’t expect in her business.

That’s a typical story I hear these days.

“I didn’t expect it to turn out like this.”

That could have a negative connotation or a positive one.

One thing that is true of this life is the certainty of uncertainty. We can be sure that things will change and be worse (or better) than we thought.

There has been a great sense of uncertainty this year.

I recently had an “unexpected” change with a significant relationship. I didn’t expect my business to change the way they did.

Recently, I’ve been thinking about uncertainty more than usual. How do you deal with it?

Here are a few thoughts I have for you (and for me). Take them as you will.

Certainty is required when we’re uncertain of ourselves.

Certainty is the hope for security and safety. If we aren’t secure and safe with who we are, we’ll always feel unsafe and insecure.

This could manifest via money, relationships, status or whatever makes us feel a certainty that things will be how we want them.

The more we become secure in who we are (not what we have), the more secure we’ll be no matter who’s president, what the business is doing or what’s happening in our relationships.

We become THE pillar in a storm.

That’s what I want. That leads me to…

It’s essential to change our perspective of uncertainty.

If we put our hope and trust in things that can be destroyed, damaged or taken away, be assured, at some point, that will happen.

Any time I feel uncertain, it’s an opportunity to:

1. become resilient

2. become aware

3. trust God

If the thought of things not going the way I want puts me into a spiral, I give myself love and grace, and then I get to work on identifying the things I hope to do that I shouldn’t.

Which leads me to…

Check yourself before you wreck yourself.

Being aware of your expectations is crucial. If we expect that everything will go the way we want, what’s likely to happen?

They won’t, and we’ll lose a sense of control and potentially lose our minds. 🤪 

If our expectation is, “I can and will control all the outcomes of my life.”

Ouch. Betting chances the best case won’t work out, and we’re left disappointed and perhaps disillusioned.

What if we allowed ourselves to be more open-handed with life?

In my old age, I’m finding way more peace in “going with the flow.”

Process > Outcomes.

Even in my ability or desire to control so many things, I couldn’t. I was so intensely outcome-based that it became miserable.

When we focus so much on controlling the outcomes of our life and business, the process or journey can suck.

If we shift our minds to being diligent with the process and trusting that the outcome will be good, no matter what happens, we’ll have more joy.

Investing so much (in every way) in the outcome robs us of the present.

If you’re in a time of uncertainty, please allow yourself to let it expand you. Allow yourself more grace and more love in this process right now.

Much love,

Chris