Live: Tolerating Uncertainty

Today’s news of Lehman Brother’s bankruptcy filing, the hit in the financial markets, the surge of gas prices climbing at least 25 cents overnight from Hurricane Ike has many, for good reasons, afraid and uncertain.

Uncertainty can crop up in anything though: a relationship, finances, job security, or even health crisis’ like finding a lump where none should exist surprise us. Switching careers, buying a home, taking a risk when you’d rather stay put – any of these things will come at us and throw us off balance at any point in our lives. What we do, how we react is up to us.

Uncertainty is part of living. Change is all around us. But happiness, or the search for it, requires an ability to tolerate uncertainty in the midst of chaos. There are ups, there are downs. Living means not being afraid of a skinned knee knowing that chances are they’ll happen when riding a bike. Knowing that you will come out on the other side of it, preparing accordingly, helps you stay grounded and sure of what lies before you.

In the coming days, years in fact, we’ll be seeing more gestures of uncertainty prevailing in the financial markets, global economy and world news. We may hear gloom and doom reports and unfortunately, they may not be inaccurate.

It’s important in uncertainty to not react so quickly. Buy! Sell! Yes! No! Cancer! Really, how can we really know unless we settle down and find the right answer for us? How can we know the right treatment unless we get to the root cause of what ails us or is impacting our present or future?

For now, if it seems too much to bear, calm down. Breathe. Lao Tzu said, “Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?”

Uncertainty is uncomfortable, but clarity comes eventually. Don’t knee-jerk responses. Don’t fall under the weight of heavy information. Hang on. If you can tolerate the pain of uncertainty, relief is sure to come. Make a plan. Get clear. Hang in there.

My heart is with you,

Kelley Taylor

Also See:

Learn: How To Tolerate Uncertainty – Sort Of
To Be: Resilient
Hear: Keep Faith
My Wish For You: Courage to Fight The Good Fight

The Hot Chocolate Story

My thanks to my friend, Denise, for passing this wonderful story along to me.

The Hot Chocolate Story

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives.Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups-porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite — telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said:

“Notice that all the nice looking; expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you’re drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups… And then you began eyeing each others cups.”Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate we have.”

The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have.Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And enjoy your hot chocolate!- Anonymous