Uncertainty is a gift because it can help push you out of your comfort zone. If we knew for certain what was going to happen there would be no new experiences in life and that would be rather dull. Uncertainty allows for unexpected outcomes, which are neither good nor bad.
As I want to go outside for a walk, the rain brings uncertainty. Later on, as I hold my ocarina and play my favorite songs on it, the rain becomes a gift. And it’s not just the rain; many things come into my life as gifts in that way.
“The willingness to consider possibility requires a tolerance of uncertainty.”
Rachel Naomi Remen
Good Morning,
I wish I knew how to use the camera on my Surface Pro. I would wake you up with a Selfie of me with curly hair. I have not had a permanent in my hair for about 20 years so I considered the possibility that I might enjoy the experience of curls. The fact that I no longer dye my hair made it even more intriguing since beauticians do not like to mix color and curl. I figured a body wave would provide me with body but these waves boarder on kinks and I can’t stop chuckling when I look in the mirror and Little Orphan Annie with grey hair chuckles back. My daughter would be appalled and my son would have a hey-day teasing me.
Well, as Rachel Naomi Remen says above: I considered possibility, made the hair appointment and yesterday was tolerant of the uncertainty that lurked in the pink curlers being rolled around my locks and permanent solution being doused on my head. The result was definitely not what I expected but the experience is worth it. Now I know. I doubt I will ever perm my hair again.
All of this said, I have no intention of forsaking the willingness to consider the possibilities that come with a tolerance for uncertainty. Why, because it is new behavior for me. It is a sign of letting go, of experimenting and experiencing. It is a sign that I like myself enough to risk. It took courage.
I doubt that my daughter would equate it with courage. She might say, “Mama, have you lost your mind?”
I doubt my son would equate the fact that I curled my hair with “walking on the wild side” but in many ways that is exactly what it was for me.
Is there something that requires courage and a tolerance for uncertainty in your life today? What would walking on the wild side be for you in this moment?
This was wonderful to read Carol!
I love your openness to new experience,
and your good humor in describing the results.
I want to live with this kind of lightness.
Taking myself so seriously is never this much fun.
Being certain about things feels safe and comfortable, but holding onto this need in life can hold us back, limiting our potential and missing out on opportunities. In that sense, uncertainty can be seen as a gift as even though it can be uncomfortable, it frees us from the weight of expectations and lets us explore new paths, grow, and discover fresh ideas and possibilities.
I definitely do not always ascribe to this belief in my own life, but it’s something I will ponder more today.
What struck me about what you have written, Lauren, is the trap of playing it safe.
I like to feel safe and secure, but the cost is high.
Limiting my potential, and missing out on opportunities, may just be a cost too high.
Thank you for your wise words.
I don’t know where I got this from but I often recall it when I am in uncertainty.
When you come to the edge of all the light you know and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown faith is knowing one of two things will happen
There will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught how to fly.
Uncertainty is not necessarily a bad or negative thing. Oftentimes it can mean unexpected blessings, joy, abundance.
I am learning to adopt this mindset versus the one I was imprinted with, change uncertainty only means trouble or something bad. Instead I am choosing to embrace uncertainty in positive ways. The Universe has my back….✨❤️
If I’m trying to be positive about uncertainty.
Which I struggle with. I would say,
uncertainty’s gift is the opportunity to
practice letting go. Letting go of control
and letting go of expectations and being
in the present moment for whatever may
happen. Theoretically, I can appreciate
uncertainty and all it has to offer. But in
my daily life, it causes me much anxiety.
This question makes me think about taking leaps of faith. Not knowing how things will turn out or not being in charge of how they turn out has been scary to me. But the uncertainty, the not-knowing requires trust in the process, and most often we grow in ways and find things we may never have known if we wouldn’t have taken a leap. The uncertainty of closing our restaurant last March was incredibly scary, but we did it and new paths have opened up for us… I certainly didn’t expect to be moving to the mountains from the coast last spring!
Uncertainty tests my abilities to stay calm and adapt to my environment. Some of Paw Mu’s advice such as: needing someone which ended up being Ngoc, not going alone, and staying closest to my: family, elders, culture, and bros became the blueprint for my relationships later on and given me certainty in uncertainty.
Uncertainty sometimes arises when I’m discerning an action to take or decision to make. What it means to me is Pause a little longer (before taking action), pray and meditate a little more, seek counsel from just a few trusted friends. Uncertainty lifts when directions are clear about what I’m discerning and then I take the action. There is Serenity within my personhood.
When faced with uncertainty, I am overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety. I want to know what is there to come so that I can best prepare. For me, I recognize that I want to manipulate the situation, control the outcome and cling to what is certain. However, this just causes more stress and suffering on my end. Learning how to let go and let be is helpful as it is a reminder that I am not in control of everything besides my response to the situation.
Jennifer, we were taught to plan ahead many years into the future. I remember my school days when teachers came up to me and always asked me what I was going to do in the future. I lived with that mindset for awhile, and it was exhausting. This is where I like the Traditional Asian system better. Less practicing and planning, more enjoyment of the present. Not everything can be planned. Often times, the situation comes out differently from when we planned in the first place. Being present prepares us better for chaos. For starters, all we need to know is that nothing lasts forever.
For me uncertainty sometimes leads to self evaluation, conversations with God, a good walk and or meditation. Other times it leads to leaps of faith, turning the music up when cleaning the house and decluttering not only my surroundings but mental state.
There are times uncertainty leads to dipping the toe in the cold water while I decide to go in or retreat or running and jumping in ready for what ever reality awaits.
I like your use of visual imagery with dipping our toes in the cold water when dealing with uncertainty. Sometimes it’s good to test the waters, other times you might just need to jump and make a big splash!
Provocative question today. For me, uncertainty is an opportunity to live in the moment, take in what is, knowing that may be all there is. Uncertainty obviously arrives constantly in our lives. Sometimes it is simple, other times complex, even frightening, which is one of the emotions on the buffet. My hope is that becoming friends with uncertainty, however it shows up, just might help me with the higher stake uncertainties of life.
I also think uncertainty can be fun! Not knowing can be so much more fun than knowing in many situations.
Give yourself the gift of free bi-monthly inspiration including uplifting articles, diverse stories, supportive practices, videos, and more, delivered with heart to your inbox.
Uncertainty invites me to slow down, to stop, to feel.
Myself, the world. Wait, trust.
Uncertainty can challenge us, allow us to learn and grow. Help us to seek support and enrich relationships.
Uncertainty is a gift because it can help push you out of your comfort zone. If we knew for certain what was going to happen there would be no new experiences in life and that would be rather dull. Uncertainty allows for unexpected outcomes, which are neither good nor bad.
As I want to go outside for a walk, the rain brings uncertainty. Later on, as I hold my ocarina and play my favorite songs on it, the rain becomes a gift. And it’s not just the rain; many things come into my life as gifts in that way.
My Ngoc, having more options at our disposal gives us greater flexibility, especially for when things don’t go our way.
I share a Morning Med from my 2016 journal.
Morning Meds Nov 30 2016 Walking on the Wild Side
“The willingness to consider possibility requires a tolerance of uncertainty.”
Rachel Naomi Remen
Good Morning,
I wish I knew how to use the camera on my Surface Pro. I would wake you up with a Selfie of me with curly hair. I have not had a permanent in my hair for about 20 years so I considered the possibility that I might enjoy the experience of curls. The fact that I no longer dye my hair made it even more intriguing since beauticians do not like to mix color and curl. I figured a body wave would provide me with body but these waves boarder on kinks and I can’t stop chuckling when I look in the mirror and Little Orphan Annie with grey hair chuckles back. My daughter would be appalled and my son would have a hey-day teasing me.
Well, as Rachel Naomi Remen says above: I considered possibility, made the hair appointment and yesterday was tolerant of the uncertainty that lurked in the pink curlers being rolled around my locks and permanent solution being doused on my head. The result was definitely not what I expected but the experience is worth it. Now I know. I doubt I will ever perm my hair again.
All of this said, I have no intention of forsaking the willingness to consider the possibilities that come with a tolerance for uncertainty. Why, because it is new behavior for me. It is a sign of letting go, of experimenting and experiencing. It is a sign that I like myself enough to risk. It took courage.
I doubt that my daughter would equate it with courage. She might say, “Mama, have you lost your mind?”
I doubt my son would equate the fact that I curled my hair with “walking on the wild side” but in many ways that is exactly what it was for me.
Is there something that requires courage and a tolerance for uncertainty in your life today? What would walking on the wild side be for you in this moment?
This was wonderful to read Carol!
I love your openness to new experience,
and your good humor in describing the results.
I want to live with this kind of lightness.
Taking myself so seriously is never this much fun.
Being certain about things feels safe and comfortable, but holding onto this need in life can hold us back, limiting our potential and missing out on opportunities. In that sense, uncertainty can be seen as a gift as even though it can be uncomfortable, it frees us from the weight of expectations and lets us explore new paths, grow, and discover fresh ideas and possibilities.
I definitely do not always ascribe to this belief in my own life, but it’s something I will ponder more today.
What struck me about what you have written, Lauren, is the trap of playing it safe.
I like to feel safe and secure, but the cost is high.
Limiting my potential, and missing out on opportunities, may just be a cost too high.
Thank you for your wise words.
I don’t know where I got this from but I often recall it when I am in uncertainty.
When you come to the edge of all the light you know and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown faith is knowing one of two things will happen
There will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught how to fly.
Uncertainty is not necessarily a bad or negative thing. Oftentimes it can mean unexpected blessings, joy, abundance.
I am learning to adopt this mindset versus the one I was imprinted with, change uncertainty only means trouble or something bad. Instead I am choosing to embrace uncertainty in positive ways. The Universe has my back….✨❤️
If I’m trying to be positive about uncertainty.
Which I struggle with. I would say,
uncertainty’s gift is the opportunity to
practice letting go. Letting go of control
and letting go of expectations and being
in the present moment for whatever may
happen. Theoretically, I can appreciate
uncertainty and all it has to offer. But in
my daily life, it causes me much anxiety.
I have always preferred to feel safe.
But as I get older, I feel like it’s time to start letting go.
This question makes me think about taking leaps of faith. Not knowing how things will turn out or not being in charge of how they turn out has been scary to me. But the uncertainty, the not-knowing requires trust in the process, and most often we grow in ways and find things we may never have known if we wouldn’t have taken a leap. The uncertainty of closing our restaurant last March was incredibly scary, but we did it and new paths have opened up for us… I certainly didn’t expect to be moving to the mountains from the coast last spring!
Uncertainty tests my abilities to stay calm and adapt to my environment. Some of Paw Mu’s advice such as: needing someone which ended up being Ngoc, not going alone, and staying closest to my: family, elders, culture, and bros became the blueprint for my relationships later on and given me certainty in uncertainty.
Uncertainty sometimes arises when I’m discerning an action to take or decision to make. What it means to me is Pause a little longer (before taking action), pray and meditate a little more, seek counsel from just a few trusted friends. Uncertainty lifts when directions are clear about what I’m discerning and then I take the action. There is Serenity within my personhood.
Well said, Carla. This kind of discernment is my way forward in uncertainty, too.
When faced with uncertainty, I am overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety. I want to know what is there to come so that I can best prepare. For me, I recognize that I want to manipulate the situation, control the outcome and cling to what is certain. However, this just causes more stress and suffering on my end. Learning how to let go and let be is helpful as it is a reminder that I am not in control of everything besides my response to the situation.
Jennifer, we were taught to plan ahead many years into the future. I remember my school days when teachers came up to me and always asked me what I was going to do in the future. I lived with that mindset for awhile, and it was exhausting. This is where I like the Traditional Asian system better. Less practicing and planning, more enjoyment of the present. Not everything can be planned. Often times, the situation comes out differently from when we planned in the first place. Being present prepares us better for chaos. For starters, all we need to know is that nothing lasts forever.
For me uncertainty sometimes leads to self evaluation, conversations with God, a good walk and or meditation. Other times it leads to leaps of faith, turning the music up when cleaning the house and decluttering not only my surroundings but mental state.
There are times uncertainty leads to dipping the toe in the cold water while I decide to go in or retreat or running and jumping in ready for what ever reality awaits.
I like your use of visual imagery with dipping our toes in the cold water when dealing with uncertainty. Sometimes it’s good to test the waters, other times you might just need to jump and make a big splash!
Provocative question today. For me, uncertainty is an opportunity to live in the moment, take in what is, knowing that may be all there is. Uncertainty obviously arrives constantly in our lives. Sometimes it is simple, other times complex, even frightening, which is one of the emotions on the buffet. My hope is that becoming friends with uncertainty, however it shows up, just might help me with the higher stake uncertainties of life.
I also think uncertainty can be fun! Not knowing can be so much more fun than knowing in many situations.