By Doug Strickel
We live in a world of uncertainty. It’s all around us in every facet of life. We have recently seen the impact of uncertainty on the stock market. When the US recently announced an expansive tariff strategy, the stock market took a significant hit. Investors don’t like uncertainty.
Similar to investors not liking uncertainty in financial markets, most of us would love to avoid uncertainty in our lives. While the past might cause regret, the uncertainty of the future causes many of us to suffer anxiety and worry which has robbed many of peace, joy, and a desirable quality of life.
Uncertainty doesn’t have to be a negative thing though.
- Uncertainty encourages us to remain dependent on God’s guidance, provision, and protection.
- Uncertainty leads us to remain active, diligent, and purposeful to avoid complacency.
- Uncertainty provides motivation for us to ask hard questions, seek new direction, and knock relentlessly on important doors.
- Uncertainty causes us to consider beyond our comfort zone, believe beyond our capacity, and trust beyond our expectations.
So, the real question is how can we navigate through uncertainty in our lives and still experience joy, peace, and a desirable quality of life? How can we keep uncertainty from robbing us?
- Remind yourself of what you do know. Hold fast to a firm foundation when things around you appear to be in turmoil. Remind yourself daily of your foundation.
- Keep taking steps to move forward. You likely won’t think your way through uncertainty. You will need to act, evaluate, and adapt. Resolution is seldom a straight line, but rather side steps, backward steps, and finally forward steps.
- Be careful with timelines. Uncertain times cannot be controlled by our schedules. Just keep pressing forward.
- The past is your strength and guide for the future. Remember past resolutions to motivate and strengthen your current pursuit.
- Patience is more than waiting idly and persistence is more than just trying harder. Patience is not giving up and persistence may require trying something new.
Uncertainty can be tough to navigate and yet exciting to engage with as we seek resolution. Uncertainty can consume our thoughts, that’s why it’s so important to keep doing. Doing keeps our minds engaged as we work through the uncertainty and not dwell on the unknown.
We crave predictability even if it’s not positive. The mere thought of uncertainty can be debilitating for too many. It doesn’t have to be that way. Uncertainty is a part of life and can be a positive experience if navigated well!
Simply take all that energy you spend worrying about an uncertain future and use it to take one useful action that you can control.
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