The past six months has brought loads of uncertainty to the whole world. The COVID pandemic, economic upheaval, social upheaval. Practically everything seems to be filled with uncertainty. How is one supposed to cope?
It’s interesting how we often use the word “coping” when it comes to uncertainty. Just the word itself seems to imply that uncertainty is bad. I looked up the origin of the word and here’s what I found.
Middle English (in the sense ‘meet in battle, come to blows’):
from Old French coper, colper, from cop, colp ‘a blow’,
via Latin from Greek kolaphos ‘blow with the fist’.1
Clearly uncertainty seems to be something we fight against. But do we need to do that and does it help?
What’s your perspective?
I’ve written in other blog posts about how our perspective determines how we experience things. In the past, my own perspective of uncertainty has led to digestive issues, migraine headaches, living a rather small life. My view that uncertainty was something to cope with ensured that’s how I experienced it.
I now see uncertainty very differently. I find uncertainty to be the best part of life because it leaves open possibility. Without uncertainty life would be rigid, small and boring. The Bill Murray movie Ground Hog Day is built around a strange certainty. The main character relives the same day over and over. He wakes up at the same time, has the same breakfast, meets the same people, has the same conversations. If that’s all that happened, no one would watch the movie for very long. But because uncertainties begin to crop up, we’re led into a fascinating story that helps us to grow. That’s what I believe uncertainty does: it provides the opportunity to learn, grow and experience life more fully.
The negativity bias
The fear center in our brain tends to get over active when we’re faced with unpredictable events. It comes up with all sorts of reasons to stay safe and stay the same. But the negativity bias we all have keeps us from seeing that there are at least as many positive outcomes possible as negative outcomes. Probably more. Broadening our perspective and seeing all the things that could possibly go right would bring not only a much more positive perspective, but an experience that opens doors instead of closes them.
That’s why I choose to view uncertainty the way I do. It helps me navigate any situation. It brings me hope and peace of mind. It makes my life much more enjoyable.
What would be different in your life if you saw possibility instead of trouble, felt inspiration instead of fear? Our perspective is not something given at birth. It’s a choice. What perspective do you choose?
© 2020, Paul Boehnke. All rights reserved.
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