Uncertainty, as we know it, is the state of unknown or the feeling of unknown. It is a rough feeling, to not know what may happen in moments to come. I personally, have faced uncertainty more times than you can count!
Uncertainty teaches you various emotions. Some are dark, however, some are pleasant. The way our life scripts are taught to us, we immediately observe negative experiences. If you do not get what you want, it means something bad is happening. If something takes a really long time to reach you, something bad is happening. If life is a bit dull, something bad must be happening!
We don’t pause to give us the breathing room we need. There is a certain need to control almost everything happening in our lives. It is exhausting and frustrating! Uncertainty, or the feeling of uncertainty, gives us the breathing room we need! The feeling of restlessness, the feeling of stagnation takes a toll in our lives. Imagine how scary it is to not know what may happen in the immediate next moment.In my opinion, uncertainty is one of the exceptional experiences I have had.
Uncertainty has taught me a lot. For one, it has allowed me to embrace patience.
In our lives, we are always on the run. We have no time to breathe, let alone sit and think. Being impatient is a trait I learnt to let go when I encountered uncertainty, simply because there was nothing in my control. I had to wait to let things pan out. It’s not that simple, let me tell you. But it is worth it.
Uncertainty teaches you to let go! It takes time to grasp that feeling, nonetheless, you do learn to let go.
Let me share a simple example from my own life. I live in Chennai, India. We were hit with a terrible cyclone “Vardah”. It knocked out all the electricity, water and food supply for 3 – 4 days. Fortunately, we had food supplies, we were able to manage with water as well, but the bigger problem for us was to stay without electricity. And the storm affected communication as well, so we couldn’t make calls or receive them!
We had no electricity any phone calls and it was dark, even during the day. It was scary and there was absolutely nothing we could do, we had no idea what was going to happen – Uncertainty!
The first 12 hours were terrible because obviously, we wanted to control the situation. Some of us got angry, scared and frustrated. When we realized, we cannot do anything, we had to “let go”. Be patient! That is when I realized what uncertainty can teach us. Letting go and being patient gave us the courage to relax and hope that it will all be fine.
Uncertainty in life is good. It’s like a pause button, especially to those who are always on the go, typical type – A, restless, impatient and always on the go!
Of course, uncertainty is a crisis. One cannot always live life in the dark, not knowing what needs to happen, however, at times, it is alright to feel uncertain – to let go, be patient. It helps you relax and calm down. It readies you for the next battle.
Hopefully, the next time you feel lost and uncertain, this article will help you understand better in dealing with the situation.