Growing into Greatness: How to Embrace Uncertainty
“If you are uncertain about where you are heading, stay on the sidewalk and watch life pass you by.” The Naysayers and the Dream Killers.
The truth is - sometimes you have to figure it out along the journey. Dreams die because of fear. Dreams die because we meet a dream killer at a vulnerable time. Dreams die because we couldn’t see the finish line so we didn’t bother to enter the race.
Like many college students, I entered college at Penn State University with a lack of clarity about my future. Before I departed, a few friends advised me to reconsider. I attended Murrell Dobbins Technical High School, a vocational high school that did a great job at training students to enter the workforce. My friends weren’t haters; they were reacting to my lack of vison. I lacked clarity regarding my major and my career aspirations; what I did have was faith that I would figure it out before I graduated. I valued education because my parents, grandparents, and teachers, starting in Jamaica taught me that education was the path to success.
A well-educated mind is never a waste of time. I looked towards majoring in Business Administration but after almost failing a few courses, I realized that it wasn’t the right path for me but the knowledge that I gained was instructive. Some students seemed destined for an easy road because they had so much clarity; they wanted to become doctors, engineers, business owners like their parents or mentors. About 2 years in, the pieces started to come together and I realized that my love for problem solving and dispute resolution was a good match for the Labor and Industrial Relations field. If you keep an open mind and be constantly curious about life, you can enjoy climbing a few mountains or taking the road less traveled to your destination.
As adults, we experience, the same struggles. We are not always clear about the destination in both our personal and professional lives, and the path is often rocky. We stumble on rocks, get distracted by both beautiful flowers and thorns. Sometimes, we are delayed so long that we think that we will be stuck in the same place forever. If you are at one of life’s many crossroads and experiencing the vertigo that comes with having to make a difficult decision, sit with your thoughts until you are centered again. Have faith that it is all working together for your good; you are learning and growing and stretching and developing the ability to pivot when the path that you have taken no longer serves you. You are becoming mentally strong and your brain is learning the emotional intelligence needed to be comfortable with your self in the face of constantly changing weather. Frankly, you may even come to enjoy the uncertainty of the journey and look forward to the surprises that life reveals.
I love reading about leaders, in particular entrepreneurs because they have the courage to take a leap of faith. They have the ability to take action in the midst of fear and uncertainty and will try multiple business models before finding success. Entrepreneurs will build a successful business, go bankrupt, learn the lesson, and have the courage to try again. Some may judge this experience as a failure but if it is failure, it is failing up. It is failing up because even in bankruptcy, if you learned the lesson and start again, you are winning.
When I am in a period of uncertainty in my life, I rely on faith to get through, taking one small step at a time. If you are not a person of faith, harken back to a time when all seemed lost but hardwork and a bit of luck pulled you through. If you haven’t had this experience, google and read stress to success stories for inspiration. Be your biggest cheerleader and shield yourself with positive affirmations. Find a mentor to help guide you on the journey. Find a fellow traveler who can be a source of mutual help and inspiration. Don’t be discouraged by the naysayers because your path is your own and your only competition is yourself. In uncertain times, center yourself and trust that your intuition will be a wise companion as you travel.
The Growing into Greatness series of articles is a mentoring tool that is focused on covering frequently asked question from teens and young adults. There are also a few nuggets for adults :-). The book, Growing into Greatness with God (pre-teens and teens) is available on Amazon.
