A person’s ability to deal with uncertainty is influenced by many factors. Those who are older may be able to deal with uncertainty better because they have experienced more uncertainty and made it through, and often things turned out OK — perhaps the way they’re supposed to. Those who practice faith or religion may be comfortable in uncertainty because they have a higher power to look to.
Putting age and religion aside, a person’s ability to deal with uncertainty depends not so much on external circumstances, but on what they make of the circumstances in their thinking. Our thoughts create our experience of life. Worried thoughts create worried feelings, while hopeful thoughts create hopeful feelings. Of course, there are circumstances out of our control that can cause worry and distress: natural disasters, unexpected death, financial insecurity, and other similar crises. Yet, even though these events may be out of our control, we do have control over our reaction. Our reality is based on our thoughts.
Say, for example, that you and a coworker hear your company is planning a round of layoffs. The two of you both have mortgages, children, and other financial responsibilities, but it’s you who immediately descends into a panicked spiral. “My life is ruined, we won’t be able to keep the house, my kids won’t be able to go to college” are some of the thoughts you go through. You look over and see that your coworker looks unfazed by the whole issue.
Your coworker could be making a conscious effort to look at the positive aspects in her life. She might turn to gratitude about her kids and that everyone is healthy. Instead of worrying about her job, she may turn to optimism when she realizes that she’s not a huge fan of her job anyway and gets excited about the potential new prospects. Both people are dealing with the exact same situation of uncertainty, but they’re having very different experiences.
The benefits of staying positive through uncertainty are not just about feeling better — they impact the outcome. You’ll be better able to seek support from others when you remain positive, as people tend to gravitate towards positive people. If you can stay positive and keep your mental traction through crises, you’ll be much more able to come up with solutions to problems and solve key issues. This is true in life and in business.
If you find yourself in an uncertain situation or crisis, consider these pointers that have worked for my team and me, and many of our clients:
You choose how to respond
Recognize that in life and business, a fair amount of surprises will cross your path, and some may come with immense challenges. When that happens, remember: Stop. Think. Decide. Only you can make a conscious decision to take a more effective course of action.
This article was first published on Human Synergistics.