“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is. And true security is the result of anchoring oneself to the certainty of uncertainty. ” ~ Teal Swan
~
Imagine your life to be a vast ocean and you’re sailing through it on your yacht or ship.
Everything is amazing when the ocean is calm and quiet. You sail as smoothly as you can and enjoy every minute of your journey.
The waves are fun and friendly and you are able to navigate them, and then suddenly, you see the ocean becoming turbulent.
The waves becomes stronger and wilder and you are scared. You don’t know what’s going to happen or how will you sail through. Yet you manage somehow.
Maybe you stay put and wait for the ocean to calm down or try and sail in a different direction. You may also signal for help. If the waves are really unkind, then they might just topple you over and throw you into the ocean where you struggle for your survival more than ever!
That’s how life is.
It’s like this vast ocean that’s smooth and comfortable one moment and can get really turbulent the next one. The best part is that you don’t even know when and how that’s going to happen.
That’s why uncertainty is something we all tend to run away from. It scares the hell out of most of us and how we wish life would be always simple, smooth, steady!
And eventually, we all come to understand that it can’t and won’t be the case all the time.
There will be tides, and the waves can really throw us off. Then, hoping and wishing for the sea or ocean to behave the way we want it to is nothing but wishful thinking.
“What if rather than being disheartened by the ambiguity, the uncertainty of life, we accepted it and relaxed into it?” ~ Pema Chödrön
Perhaps the only way you can navigate and sail through this vast ocean called life is by building your own safety net around you that says, “I trust my ability to sail through, and I believe that no matter what, I will make it.”
And you build this trust in yourself with each passing day by:
1. Connecting and reconnecting with yourself: your connection with yourself is the foundation of everything that stems from and is related to you. You need to turn inward every now and then to understand your needs and desires. It’s about getting off autopilot and turning inward.
2. Embracing vulnerability: trusting yourself needs you to hold space for yourself in your vulnerable moments. It’s about becoming attuned to your emotional world rather than shutting it out.
3. Being compassionate toward yourself: in trying to navigate these waves, you will make mistakes and you will have to learn to steer yourself in the right direction every now and then. You need to be able to pick yourself up every time you fall—gracefully.
4. Taking responsibility for your needs and choices: give yourself credit for all good choices and decisions and learn to look at setbacks as learning opportunities.
5. Changing what’s not working instead of dragging it on.
6. Accepting discomfort: every change or step that you take will bring some discomfort with it. You will have to learn to accept it and make your way through.
7. Asking for help: because trust me, we all need it every now and then!
8. Being you: as you keep coming closer and closer to the kind of person you are or want to be, your trust in yourself continues to increase. When the masks are off, you can breathe, and that makes sailing much lighter and more hassle-free!
At the end of the day, trying to control the uncontrollable only leads to more insecurity and anxiety. The only way to move forward and keep sailing is to believe in yourself—to know that you have the ability to withstand those storms that might hit you out of nowhere.
This self-trust is not a loud, screaming voice that says you’re invincible! Rather, it’s a soft, steady, yet solid voice, that says, “I’ve got this,”‘ and the stronger this voice is, the better will be your ability to make choices that still align with you and help you sit tight through those storms of life.
Therefore, when staring at the face of uncertainty, don’t wish for it to go away.
Instead, tune in and listen to this voice within you that will tell you how to find your way through the waves.
Remember, the opposite of uncertainty is not surety or certainty—it’s self-trust. That’s all you’ve got and that’s enough.
“Your inner voice is subtle, positive, consistent, and peaceful; it springs to life when you pay attention to it, when you show gratitude and trust what’s coming through.” ~ Kris Franken
~
This account does not have permission to comment on Elephant Journal.
Contact support with questions.