Benjamin Franklin wasn’t being cute when he said nothing in the world is certain except death and taxes. Even though we like to believe in certainty, it doesn’t exist. When I read this,d the first thing that comes to mind is fear, but life becomes much fuller when this fact is accepted. The opposite of giving way to uncertainty is my stressful life. The life that involves controlling and planning. This life involves asking what my five-year plan is. I do not know what I will be doing in five years.

I’m human, and with being human comes limitations in the form of bias. I believe that if I plan something and that plan meets my expectations, then I can control the outcome. This is called confirmation bias. Even if I’m aware of this bias, I can’t shake the need to plan because society makes it seem important to be certain. I’m supposed to know what I want to study in college. I’m also supposed to know what kind of career I want. The worst part is that I must stick to my decision because changing my mind at any time is difficult.

The Nature of Certainty

Nature is full of unpredictability. No one can truly plan for an event like a hurricane, tornado, or fire, and even the temperature cannot be accurately predicted. Experts in these areas can only suggest what could happen based on probability. Yes, experts can be wrong. Even if experts are correct in their assessment, there is still no way to control a tsunami.

How uncertainty rules the day through changes in my relationships should be apparent. No matter how much I would like, no one lasts forever. I know I can’t control people, even though some try. A friendship can have highs and lows. It can allow people to get closer, and there’s also the possibility to drift apart. There’s no five-year plan for a relationship that may only last two years. I try to have a healthy relationship with my body. I try to guard against bad health by eating well, taking supplements, and exercising, but none of this guarantees me a long life. My father never smoked a day in his life but passed away from lung cancer. The healthiest, most fit person in the world can die in a car accident. I have no control.

Embracing Uncertainty

I’m sorry. It got a little dark for a minute there. The point isn’t to bring upon nihilism. It’s to tell the truth. The next step is to embrace it, as uncertainty isn’t something to fear. It’s an opportunity for growth as someone who can know the truth (how scary and sad it may be) and create good from it. It’s a reminder to remain flexible and not stick to what “always worked” or “what we’ve always done.” What has always worked isn’t guaranteed to work again. It’s also a reminder that risk exists in everything we do. Too often, I take the positive route in our actions and am later disappointed because I never considered the negative. Both exist and knowing this makes my decision-making much better. I can always reframe the negative rather than be surprised by it.

If I’m placed in a situation where there is ambiguity, I have the opportunity to be creative. Ambiguity is where creativity thrives. I know this personally, but I’ve had many examples in corporate life where the situation is ambiguous, yet I’m also judged by the outcome when no direction is given. This is a recipe for resentment and burnout. If I’m allowed to be creative, the outcome will be just as uncertain as the direction. It’s more important to give grace when things don’t come out to expectation, as the more ambiguous the action, the more I know little about how it will come about when it’s finished.

Questions and Responses