Lately, I’ve come to notice a sense of uncertainty in my life that seems to weigh on my mind a bit more heavily than usual. Perhaps this comes with the dreaded midterm week that has come back around to haunt us. I am sure that I’m not alone in saying that uncertainty often plays a large role in our busy lives, maybe a larger role than we wish to admit. Most often, this lack of knowing is perceived as a negative; an absence of clarity or preparedness. In the world we now find ourselves in, we’re often so intimidated by the idea of not knowing. It goes against the notion that a successful life is coherent, organized, linear. This is rarely the case, and it is an idea that we should feel more comfortable accepting.
Don’t get me wrong, being certain of your future can come as a great comfort. It can be relieving to know what the days ahead of you will look like. Being certain of your own goals and desires allows us to strive for them. This consistency, however, might also hinder us in the long run. When we become accustomed to a certain way of life, it’s easy to fall into mindless habits. Relying on certainty to get us through each day makes it much more difficult to accept any changes that we may face. This sense of comfort – as enticing as it may seem – is such a burden to growth and opportunity, in whatever form it may take in our lives.
Uncertainty of the future is overwhelming. It is messy and unnatural, and most definitely difficult to face. Often, we’re quick to equate uncertainty as failure, as it is sometimes associated with a lack of purpose and drive. In reality, we should lean into these uncertainties! We need them to keep us in check every once in while! Feelings of uncertainty may serve as a sign that our personal values are changing, which is completely normal. As we move through different stages of life, our passions and desires will shift. We’ll pursue different things, seek different opportunities, most of which we can not foresee in advance.
Inevitably, we’ll reach a point in time where our beliefs will start to waiver. We might question a certain career path. We might rethink the people we surround ourselves with. We might even doubt the environment in which we spend our days. The real difference lies in how we choose to face this uncertainty when it does come our way. Let it serve as an opportunity to branch out and explore new avenues of life outside of our bubble…who knows what might await you!
I often find myself stressing about what my future might look like. About where I’ll be a year from now…or five years from now. I contemplate how the people around me might change, or about my future home or my future family. In all honesty, I have no idea what form my future life will take. Is this scary? Oh, most definitely. But I try to remind myself of all that has yet to come my way! Although I am uncertain of the days ahead of me, I am hopeful that new experiences and new people are waiting – wherever they may be.