"Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position, but certainty is an absurd one. " -Voltaire
"We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training." -Archilochus
Our minds are wired to crave certainty. We like knowing cause and effect. It informs our actions. It helps us to plan for the future. It lets us have some degree of control over the world. Sadly, certainty is merely an illusion.
At any moment, something bad could potentially happen. A car accident. A power outage. A health crisis. A global pandemic. It is always the thing that we are least expecting that leaves us most vulnerable. Preparing oneself for all possibilities, however, is not only exhausting, it is impossible.
Thankfully, a solution exists. Confidence is the solution to uncertainty. The kind of confidence that only comes through living a life dedicated to training.
Through frequent exposure to stressful situations.
Through a vigilance towards necessary adjustments.
Through admitting points of failure and mending then.
Through unwavering attention to the task right in front of us.
Through intention to improve.
This is the attitude that not only combats uncertainty, but makes friends with it. We have no way of predicting what lies ahead. We are only responsible for our own readiness to receive it. Fear, doubt, anger, worry, and (ironically) over-confidence will all make us tense at the moment of impact, instead of fluid and able to adapt.
The more you train for accepting uncertainty, the more certain your calm under duress will become. Small steps at first lead to eventually climbing mountains.
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