Uncertainty is something I struggle with everyday.
I want to know what will happen. I want everything to be perfect.
I know that someday I’ll be better, so maybe I’ll do it correctly then. I get stuck thinking about the future, while missing the present.
It’s only human behavior to be concerned about what might happen.
Striking a balance between certainty and uncertainty is difficult for us. We need certainty for our basic needs, but we also need uncertainty to keep us interested and growing. Curiosity vs. Worry. The problem is when uncertainty is crippling.
I’d love to craft a perfect post about uncertainty, but will it be perfect? Will it be inspiring?
“Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it.” ― Salvador Dalí
I’m uncertain that anyone will read this post and if I let that get to me, uncertainty could prevent me from ever hitting the publish button.
Dealing with Uncertainty
One way of dealing with uncertainty is letting go of the outcome and knowing that everything will be OK. It’s difficult because we have doubt, but there will always be doubt.
Giving without expectation is one way I deal with uncertainty. “I’m just going to put this out there and see what happens.”
Uncertainty is a scary thing, but it’s where growth and new experiences live. Certainty is where complacency and mediocrity live.
In improv, every scene starts with not knowing. There is no script, which can be terrifying especially when you are starting out. When I began, I was so anxious and worried that I would say the wrong thing. As I learned, practiced, failed, and failed again; I realized that as long as I listened and reacted honestly, I would be OK. Even if I had a bad scene, it wasn’t the end of the world. I would get another opportunity to get better.
I gave up on perfect and focused on the moment. I accepted the fact that there would always be something better to do or say, but I can’t wait for that to happen in a scene. Life will not wait for you to make perfect decisions.
Now, I get excited about improvising and life. I can’t wait to see how each scene turns out.
“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity.” – Gilda Radner
How do you deal with uncertainty?