Here’s How to Embrace Uncertainty
Progress always involves risks. You can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.
— Frederick B. Wilcox —
Therefore always ask yourself:
- Moving forward, how could I minimize the risks?
How does one become a butterfly? You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.
— Trina Paulus —
You are already a butterfly, you simply haven’t taken the chance to step outside of your comfort zone. You have no idea of the incredible potential you have within, unless you take a chance on yourself.
- I believe I have all the potential in the world…
- To live my dreams I must learn to fly…
- I will begin today to step outside my comfort zone and live to become a butterfly…
I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.
— Pablo Picasso —
So go out there and ask yourself:
- What new things could I try today?
- How will these things help me grow as a person?
- How could they help me to take a step closer towards achieving my goals?
Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down.
— Ray Bradbury —
- It’s okay to not know what I’m about to do next…
- It’s okay if I make mistakes while I’m learning…
- I’m confident I can figure out what to do through trial and error…
Don’t be afraid to take a big step. You can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps.
— David Lloyd George —
- What if I just take this risk right here, right now?
- What are the possibilities?
- Let’s just do it…
It seems to me that people have vast potential. Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people don’t. They sit in front of the telly and treat life as if it goes on forever.
— Philip Adams —
- Am I wasting my life away?
- How must I get out of this slump?
- How is my comfort zone hurting me?
- What will I miss out on in the long-term if I don’t take action now?
- How can I create more urgency in my life?
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live.
— Leo F. Buscaglia —
- What small risk could I take today that I would normally hesitate?
- What big risk could I take in the coming months that could potentially transform my life for the better?
- How could I best prepare myself for taking this risk?
The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.
— Michelangelo —
- Am I setting my aim high enough?
- Am I setting my standards high enough?
We fail more often by timidity then by over-daring.
— David Grayson —
- What will I dare to do today?
One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.
— Andre Gide —
- It’s okay to venture too far outside my comfort zone…
- Life is an adventure and I’m an Explorer. Venturing too far is what Explorer’s do…
- I must venture too far to know just how far I can possibly go…
Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson —
- What if I treated life as an experiment?
- How would I think differently?
- How would I do things differently?
Often we… expect and want every day to be just like today. Even though we’re not satisfied with today, we settle for security instead of discovery.
— Stephen G. Scalese —
- Am I settling for security?
- How could I become more adventurous?
The knowledge of the world is only to be acquired in the world, and not in a closet.
— Lord Chesterfield —
Unless you are pushing yourself and stepping outside of your comfort zone, you will never really learn anything new and worthwhile.
We learn best when we are challenged, when we are put under pressure, when for a period of time we simply don’t know what to do. In such instances our life is in a bit of a turmoil, however this is a good thing because it strengthens our resolve and forces us to think differently about our world and circumstances. This is after all how all progress is made.
- How could I challenge myself today?
- What’s something new I could learn today that will stretch my abilities?
Nothing will ever be attempted, if all possible objections must be first overcome.
— Samuel Johnson —
Every day we go through life formulating seemingly intelligent reasons why we can’t do something. These reasons are nothing more than poor excuses that keep you locked within your comfort zone. You must realize that nothing will ever be perfect. Or alternatively realize that everything is perfect all the time. If you approach life from such a perspective, imagine what could be possible. You will throw all your excuses out the door and begin living life to the fullest.
- Things will never be perfect…
- Things are always perfect no matter what they might appear to be to me…
- Why not just do it… right now?
Why not go out on a limb? Isn’t that where the fruit is?
— Frank Scully —
We are often so afraid to go out on a limb because we’re petrified that the branch will break. Yes, the branch may break, and Yes you might hurt yourself when you fall. However, every time you reach for that fruit you will gain experience and this will force you to change your approach and strategy accordingly the next time around. And eventually after a little trial and error you will grasp the fruit and it will change your life.
- Why not go out on a limb?
- Why not go out on a limb right now?
- What have I learned from this experience?
- How must I modify my approach the next time I go out on a limb?
This nation was built by men who took risks — pioneers who were not afraid of the wilderness, businessmen who were not afraid of failure, scientists who were not afraid of the truth, thinkers who were not afraid of progress, dreamers who were not afraid of action.
— Brooks Atkinson —
The key to progress is to take fearless action. Cultivate courage within your heart, and take a chance on yourself. Don’t worry about your fear. It will never really dissipate no matter how much experience you have. A courageous person doesn’t act without fear, instead they act despite their fear, and that is why they are courageous.
Use your fears as fuel that powers you forward to take ever bigger chances and risks as you make progress forward towards the attainment of your goals and objectives.
- I will take action despite my fear…
- I am courageous, and my courage will guide me through this…
Your Plan of Action
I would like to challenge you to embrace uncertainty; to actually plunge head-first into uncertainty and take a chance on yourself.
Here is your personal plan of action that I would like you to start implementing today…
- Learn new things.
- Learn to take calculated risks.
- Try something edgy.
- Never settle for comfort or security.
- Never fear taking action.
- Take chances you wouldn’t normally take.
- Take the road less traveled.
- View life as an adventure and an experiment.
- Do what you think you cannot do.
- Do what feels uncomfortable.
Yes, you will feel uncomfortable… Yes, you will feel like running away at times… Yes, you will not always know what to do… However, this is the best way to make progress in life. So take a chance on yourself and plunge into the world of uncertainty with an open mind and a fighting spirit. Life is too short to hold yourself back.