E91. How To Improve Our Relationship With Uncertainty.

First thing we must appreciate about uncertainty is that it is a precursor to all growth. Growth is a requirement of life and therefore uncertainty is something we actually need to remain alive and well. Unfortunately, most people correlate uncertainty with fear instead of growth. There are many reasons why people are frightened of uncertainty. What if we can change this? People often associate uncertainty with getting out of our comfort zone. This is typically doing something we have never done before. In other words, this is doing something with zero reference points. Examples could include learning any new skill, or moving to an unknown foreign country, basically, doing something we have never done. These experiences provide us with huge psychological growth spurts and prove to be very effective. I can still clearly remember the first time we (my wife and I) flew to a foreign country, where we had zero reference points of experience to draw on. A month later when we returned to Australia, we both felt and knew we could handle so much more!! Suddenly minor incidental things which used to challenge us, no longer bothered us. Uncertainty prepares us for the road ahead in our lives. It prepares us for the next level. It provides us with the skills to our ever-expanding responsibilities. Could the 2010 version of you handle your current life? Probably not. The version of my life today would completely overwhelm the 2010 version of me. There is a big difference between getting out of our comfort zone and expanding our comfort zone. Getting out of our comfort zone normally means we are having a new experience with minimal if any reference points. In other words, it is literally an entry into the unknown. It is the first time we are experiencing that thing. For example, going to an overseas non-English speaking country for the first time was getting out of my comfort zone. I had zero past experiences (reference points) to draw on. It was literally entering the unknown. These experiences are significant for our growth. This kind of growth can be intense in a great way. On the other hand, expanding our comfort zone has many familiar reference points. In other words, we are having an experience that is different yet familiar at the same time. For example, even though I have been running for some thirty years, entering a marathon, is an expansion of comfort zone. I have the many years of experience to draw on, but in a new and unfamiliar situation. There is growth to be had here too. The final tip here is that most people don’t like change (uncertainty) but they want to grow. All change leads to growth either immediately or sometime soon. Anytime we are facing change, see it for what it really is, which a growth moment. We need to grow into our future, so we can handle whatever our future lives will demand. Thank you for reading. Love , Joe. Courage to be you  https://amzn.to/49nNxy2  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Download your free copy of Insights Magazine ⁠⁠www.joepane.com.au/insightsmagazine⁠⁠ To read more visit ⁠⁠www.joepane.com.au/blog ⁠⁠ Let's connect ⁠⁠@joepaneinsights⁠⁠ -  ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠@joepaneinsights