Lately, I’ve heard a theme in conversations — and that theme is dealing with uncertainty. It seems that there is uncertainty with the economy and the stock market, there is uncertainty around budgets and bonuses, there is uncertainty around having time to do all the things on your calendar, and more.
Uncertainty is certain.
It’s a part of our lives.
How Can We Proceed When Dealing With Uncertainty?
All this talk about uncertainty caused me to ponder — is there really more uncertainty going on right now, or is it a function of our brain’s perception? It’s hard to say for certain.
But, what IS certain is this simple saying about how our brains work:
“What we focus on grows.”
Our brains are primed to be on the alert and protect us from potential dangers. And things like budget deficits, relationship conflict, and time crunches are indeed potential dangers.
How we perceive them, however, is the PIVOT point.
- If we perceive situations as threats — threat circuitry will grow in our brains.
- If we perceive situations as opportunities — empowerment circuitry will grow in our brains.
The Power Is In Our Perception of Uncertainty
I like to call this the Perception Pivot. The concept isn’t headline news. Anyone who has done self-awareness or emotional intelligence work knows that our perceptions can either derail or empower us.
The tricky part happens when we get surprised with unwelcome news. And when we get surprised, our cortisol spikes, derails our good intentions, and we forget to tap into our empowered, creative, resourceful selves.
It happens to all of us. And yet there’s a simple solution that lies within our brains.
Focus more and more time each day feeling, thinking, and acting creative, resourceful, and empowered. What you focus on grows.
As the brain spends more and more time on these subjects, it will develop stronger and stronger neural circuitry to help us remember that we are, indeed, creative, resourceful, and empowered.
Try It On!
Take a minute and tap into your creative, resourceful, and empowered self right now.
- Bring to mind a memory where you felt energized, confident, strong, or clever.
- Breathe in that feeling deeply, until you experience it in different parts of your body.
- Notice the strengths you used, the values you honored, the wisdom you tapped, and the courage or flow you were experiencing.
Next, bring those strengths, values, wisdom, etc. to the uncertainty you’re facing. Maybe it’s a budget uncertainty, a time uncertainty, or a relationship uncertainty.
Wrap the uncertainty in your strengths, values, wisdom, etc., and notice how your thinking or feeling shifts with regard to the uncertainty.
- What creativity will you bring to the uncertainty?
- What wisdom will you bring to it?
- What courage will you undergird it with?
Enjoy being a CREATOR today, regardless of the circumstances or uncertainties of your life!
Want to be a creator in the area of your own professional development? Join us for The Academies’ upcoming coaching courses and contact us to request additional information about our coaching certification programs!