We and our whole society today has to deal with a lot of uncertainty: the rhythms and quality of our life require us to re-evaluate our needs and our goals. Employment contracts have become more precarious and fewer and fewer people decide on buying a house instead of choosing to rent it over the course of their lives. In large cities it is increasingly common to rent cars and scooters rather than purchase them.
Indeed, there are services that allow you to rent clothes of all kinds and eat a different lunch every day, always paying a fixed monthly cost. It seems as if our whole society is getting used to “commercializing uncertainty”, but how does one handle it? Despite the underlying uncertainty that is becoming very common in our lives today, the question is: are you able to set goals and pursue them or do you remain paralyzed in the face of a doubt? Let’s try to understand.
What is uncertainty?
Uncertainty is simply a range of future possibilities that could come true or remain mere fantasy. The reasons we are all afraid of this situation is that it is very difficult to abandon something known in favor of something less known. While your present may not be satisfying, the fear of encountering a worse future will very often stop you from having interesting experiences. It is as if we all see the unknown as a constant danger, which is obviously a wrong way of reasoning: the future may not be made up of dangers and negative results but it could also be a source of joy and satisfaction.
When we talk about uncertainty, however, we must also remember that sometimes it has advantages. Those who are particularly uncertain about their future will likely be more inclined to question their strategies and choices. This could mean going into a state of paranoia or becoming a wiser person. If you can do enough introspection by questioning your certainties and without falling into the anguish of uncertainty, you will also be able to mature.
Uncertain goals
One way to avoid uncertainty is to know in depth the goals you need to achieve: obviously it is not an easy thing but the more you have precise information about your goals, the more calculations you can make in order to avoid feeling uncertain. While you work to reach these goals, however, remember that it is important not to waste energy by asking yourself questions about things you have no control over: for example, if you are worried about a choice that your boss will make, but you cannot influence it in any way, it would be much better to focus on other things.
A nice idea is to start doing things that you can control so that you anchor a part of your existence that has something certain. Obviously this second activity that you can control will not affect your boss’s decision, but it will certainly help your relax your nerves and relieve your stress. Always try to work towards your goal and also focus on the path where you have more control. Only in this way can you avoid unnecessary paranoia. Having a certain goal in a sea of doubts is not easy at all, and it is certainly not easy to strive to create certainties where there are none.
Yet, it is one of the few things you can do, because life is destined to be a continuous succession of known situations and experiences that lead into the unknown. Being able to accept that uncertainty is very important for maintaining good mental health and the healthy state of mind. Accepting that there are no certainties will help you progress into your future.
Written By Tyara Wolf
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