Uncertainty is a Constant: Here’s How to Navigate It
Most of us have a complicated relationship with uncertainty. It’s often tied to the future, the unknown, the uncontrollable, the parts of life we can’t predict. As children, we long for freedom, eager to step into the world, unaware that our boredom existed within a cocoon of relative certainty.
Then, we’re thrust into the unknown, where to live, who our friends will be, whether our relationships will last, what our careers will become. Everything feels up in the air, and that instability can be deeply unsettling.
Eventually, we begin to realize: uncertainty isn’t something we outgrow. It’s a constant companion.
Change is inevitable. No matter how anchored we feel, life keeps shifting. That’s part of being alive.
So the question becomes: how do we feel more grounded in the midst of uncertainty? How do we stop clinging to outcomes, stop fearing what might happen, stop trying to prepare for every what if?
There’s no simple answer. And maybe that’s the point.
If someone could tell you exactly how your life would unfold, every detail mapped out, no room for surprise, would you really want to know?
Probably not.
Because this is the magic of being human. Yes, uncertainty can be terrifying. Not knowing can be painful. Change can hurt. But it can also be beautiful. Surprising. Transformative.
The challenge (and the invitation) is to build a relationship with uncertainty itself. To see it not as the enemy, but as part of what makes life meaningful. That’s where real peace begins.
How to Build Your Relationship with Uncertainty
1. Create a List: When Uncertainty Was Beautiful
This is the first step. Start noticing and writing down the times when not knowing led to something wonderful, something you couldn’t have planned. Become aware of the moments you wouldn’t have wished any other way.
2. Create a List: When Uncertainty Was Beautiful
This one isn’t easy, but it’s just as important. Write down the times when the unknown brought pain, change you didn’t want, or fear that still lingers. Note how you got through it. How you held yourself. How you grew.
3. Build Your Personal Uncertainty Toolkit
What helps you feel steady when everything feels shaky? A long walk, a coffee shop hour with a book, cooking a beautiful meal, a yoga class? Write these down. They are your small anchors, practices that help you return to yourself.
4. Really Get to Know Yourself
This takes time, but it changes everything. Understanding who you are at your core, your values, what grounds you, your triggers, your strengths, helps you navigate change without feeling lost. You’re not doing it alone. You’re there, with yourself, the whole way.
5. Sit with the Feeling
Instead of running from uncertainty, sit with it. Bring the fear to the front of your mind. Often, it feels smaller when faced directly. Ask yourself:
Is the story I’m telling myself completely true?
Is the outcome I fear definitely going to happen?
Can I hold a new, kinder narrative alongside the fear?
The Shift
Uncertainty will always be part of life. But when we learn to meet it, not with resistance, but with presence, we begin to find our footing, even in the unknown.
That’s how we ground ourselves. Not by controlling the world around us, but by tending to the world within.
