Some people do of course…dance well in the unknown. Most of us have been conditioned to want a bit more certainty or control and so leading in the twist and turns of the reality we find today can be deeply unsettling.
It can create almost a rigidity as we seek to hold on. We may struggle to fall in love with the unknown seeing it more like a rollercoaster ride we wish we’d never said yes to.
I was reflecting on my relationship with embracing the unknown and with uncertainty or perhaps I should say my willingness to relinquish (the illusion of) control. Here’s what emerged for me – hope it’s helpful:
∞ Exploring my identity – asking myself what part of my identity is tied up with being in control? In what way am I served? How do I feel stronger – or at least imagine I’m stronger when I feel in control/in the know? This is a tough and long part of the process in my experience. It calls on us to be open to knowing ourselves, to face ourselves and accept that we can release conditioning if it’s no longer helpful to us. This has been a process of decades and continues today.
∞ Trusting myself – this is an interesting one. As we consider who we are and how we contribute – as leaders, as human beings, we can reflect on what it is about us that we can rely on or trust about ourselves. For example, I know amongst other great qualities, I have a strong will and a great work ethic – when I embrace these parts of myself, they give me a powerful foundation to deal with whatever comes up – they build resilience and persistence, offering the ability to deal with the twists and turns in a more courageous way.
∞ Inner balance – this one feels really key. Finding our inner balance and inner peace brings a lot to the wonderful journeying in the unknown, and I would say is the special key that ultimately helps us open the lock to embracing the unknown. As we connect more deeply with our true inner peace, often accessed through meditation, mindfulness, breathing, deep reflection, spiritual philosophy and so much more, we find we have a far more stable point from which we can move. It’s a bit like dancing. Inner balance isn’t static – it’s very dynamic and in that, it provides the ability to move both gracefully and dynamically to suit the situation.
You will of course have your own experiences of the unknown and of uncertainty. What I find now is that I actually look forward to not knowing because it brings a new freedom and a new depth that wasn’t always accessible in my ‘in control days’.
Do share your own experience of dancing in the unknown.