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Let’s Flip Uncertainty
December 3, 2020
By Brett Grischo

 

When did uncertainty become such a dirty word? The pandemic certainly exasperated xenophobes around the globe, especially with every advertiser leading TV commercials with, “In these times of uncertainty…” But the negative connotations associated with uncertainty have been around long before 2020.

A quick Google search found this summary about uncertainty from a psychologist named Roxana Petrus:

“Dealing with uncertainty is hard. Use self-compassion and acceptance, stay in the present and practice self-care, learn from the past and plan for the future. Find strategies that work for you and practice them as often as possible so you can feel better prepared to deal with unexpected situations and events.”

Roxana sure puts uncertainty in a dark place. Uncertainty tends to be attached to fear of the unknown, which is a common cause of anxiety. We are all guilty of worrying too much and its nearly impossible to never worry about a thing, despite the wise words of Mark Twain: “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” Uncertainty feels like a giant rabbit hole, doesn’t it?

A common definition of the rabbit hole is that it refers to a situation that is strange, confusing, illogical and difficult to escape from. What if the rabbit hole isn’t so bad though? A less common definition is that a rabbit hole refers to a topic, activity, or thing that is of interest and consequently leads to spending great time exploring this topic, activity or thing further to learn more about it.

What if uncertainty isn’t a bad thing? I’m reading a great book by Ozan Varol called, Think Like a Rocket Scientist and he believes uncertainty leads to joy, discovery and fulfillment of great potential. He writes, “Life offers more of itself when we treat uncertainty as a friend, not a foe.” Although bartenders and hairstylists are wise beyond the education of a psycho-therapist, I gotta trust a rocket scientist a notch even above all of them.

Explore Communications’ creativity is in part rooted from being non-conformists and doing things differently. Weirdos are the ones that change the world, right? So, we say uncertainty is a good thing! It’s an opportunity. It’s exciting. Its ripe for exploration and the creation of greatness.

Still skeptical? Go here for the unknown. What will show up? Who knows, but I’ve wasted plenty of time there that turned out to be anything but a waste. After all, that’s where I found this creative gem, which by the way is a great place to cope with anxiety.

Need more inspiration? How ‘bout being uncertain about song lyrics? Are The Ramones really singing, “I wanna be sedated,” or are they saying, “I wanna eat some bacon.” Go ahead and try to listen to that song without going the bacon route for the rest of your life (sorry, not sorry).

Okay, okay, I’ve taken a topic the size of megalophobia and turned it into trivial things such as a random website generator and mistaken lyrics. My point is to stop worrying about uncertainty and especially quit looking at uncertainty only as a negative situation.

2020 has been a year of uncertainty. Duh. We don’t need every brand and media outlet to remind us in their somber woe-is-us voice. Instead, lets learn from the bad, find the good and move forward in positive ways. If you’ve been thankful for anything this holiday season, lets also be thankful for the opportunity to thrive in this world of uncertainty. Who is stopping you?

Uncertainty can certainly be anything. Let’s make it our friend.

 

7 responses to “Let’s Flip Uncertainty”

  1. Spot on! Great article (and a few good laughs). As the old saying goes “Through our greatest adversity comes our greatest growth” Uncertainty, like many things in life can be met with a smile and a rolling up of the sleeves or a shudder and retreat. It’s all about mindset.

    • You have overcome tons of adversity and leapt on uncertainty like it’s a bouncy castle. You are inspiring, Christophe!

    • Your curtains are a hurtin with all your blurtin’ and smirkin’ but I like your lurkin’ on my uncertain-e blog.

  2. As they say, “When nothing is certain, everything is possible.”. I like your attitude – certainty can lead to complacency and stagnation. I feel that we think best and most creatively when we’re on our toes.

    • One thing I’ve always been uncertain about is who “they” are. They are always so wise, that’s fo’ sho’. Good to hear from you!

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