How To Handle Uncertainty

Tolerating uncertainty grows with practice. This meditation is about getting more comfortable with being uncomfortable, so that when life becomes less certain and the ground feels like it's moving out from underneath you, you have somewhere steady to stand.
Instead of spiralling into worry about an uncertain future, you'll practice three gentle shifts. First, coming out of the racing thoughts noticing where the tension sits as you come back to the feeling of simply being. Then, asking what if everything works out? And finally, remembering that you have done hard things before. You became the person who could get through them, and you can do hard things again.
Sitting with not knowing gets easier every time you practice it. If being uncomfortable with uncertainty has been running your days, let this practice help you meet the unknown with a little more ease, a little more trust, and a lot more you.

Transcript

In today's practice, We're going to allow ourselves to get more comfortable with being uncomfortable by leaning into tolerating uncertainty. So let's begin. Let's start by allowing our body to relax. So take a deep breath in, Inhale. And exhale. On your next breath in, See if you can physically let go even more. Relaxing your shoulders, Your neck, Or your whole body. So let's take a deep breath in, Inhale. And exhale. Allowing your body to let it all go. When we start to think about uncertainty, Often there's a tension there. When there are certain things that we can count on as staying the same, We feel safe. But when life becomes less certain, We can start to feel like the ground is moving out from underneath us. What comes up for you when you start to feel like there's a wall of uncertainty in front of you? Notice where the tension starts. Notice what's happening when you imagine going deeper into the realm of uncertain thoughts. Notice how your shoulders feel, Your neck, Your back, Your chest. And take a deep breath in. Let's see what we can do to release some of that tension now. So deep breath in, Inhale. And exhale. Instead of focusing on our thoughts when we start to fear an uncertain future. If we focus instead on how we feel. Then we can address those feelings. We can do something with the tension that we feel in our body so that we can allow ourselves to relax through the uneasiness that's going on in our mind. Let's take another deep breath in and relax a little bit more, Imagining that even though our mind may wander, We can find our way back to letting that tension roll off our shoulders as we come back to the feeling of simply being. Resting in the here and now. Focusing on our body rather than our mind is one way to bring us back into a state of relaxation, A state of calm. Another way is to ask, What if everything works out? When we face the unknown, Our mind almost always races to the worst-case scenario. But when we don't know how something's going to go, It could also go really well. Can you think of a time when life surprised you in a good way? When you met someone or tried something new, Maybe something you loved, Or you went somewhere that you hadn't been before and it was fantastic. What if you could lean into the idea of things going well? What might that feel like? And there's one more idea I want to share with you about how to handle uncertainty. In the past, What have you done that was difficult, And how did you get through it? Whether it was a new school, A new neighborhood, A new job, Or some other big transition you needed to make. Let one specific moment come to mind. Can you think of something that you did or are still doing that you might be proud of? Rather than analyzing it, Just let yourself feel what it was like to come through it. Feel what you drew on, Feel the strength that carried you, The part of you that managed to step up when it was required. When we do difficult things, There's a part of us that steps up to become the kind of person who can do those kind of things. Essentially, We become the person we need to become in order to do the things that need to be done. We expand our capacity to do more or be better or give more or show up better. So see if you can sit with this expanded version of you who's been through challenging things in the past. And allow this part of you to fill you up. Take another deep breath in, Feeling into what it feels like to remember that you've done hard things in the past and that you are the person who can do hard things again. Inhale. And exhale. We don't need to know where we're going in order to be the person who can get us there. So if we can focus on being the person who can get wherever we're going, We'll get there with a little bit more ease. Let's wrap up by saying a few affirmations either silently or aloud. Number one, I can be uncertain and still feel okay. Number two, I've done hard things before and I can't again. 3. Uncertainty can also mean good things are coming. Number four, I don't need to know the way. And number five, I know I'm the person who can meet whatever comes. And as we come to the end of this meditation, I invite you to come back to these ideas every day, Or if you like, All through the day, And see what effect this practice has on your life. Thank you so much for taking the time to be here with me today. I am Ilya Grace, And until next time, You trust in your practice and in your own inner guidance. And allow the universe to work its magic.