Uncertainty or Possibility?
Reframing uncertainty as possibility changes everything.
Day 11 at a Glance
Coming to you live from the island of Kauai! I’m back on the lanai typing away as palm trees sway and beach-goers splash in the ocean.
Bethany and I have veterinary CE today. There’s 100+ veterinary professionals in one place learning ER and internal medicine in paradise. We love hanging out with vet folks outside of the clinic and truly getting to know each other in a relaxed setting. These are our people! We can both celebrate and commiserate together. In paradise 😎
Why Is Uncertainty Uncomfortable?
I’m naturally a type-A, planner, likes-to-be-in-control type. Uncertainty is a feeling I’ve tried to avoid at all costs. I’m that person who volunteers to plan trips, orders for the table, and always has a plan B. I like to have an abundance of information before making a decision. However, over the past few years I realized that I was avoiding the discomfort of uncertainty by trying to control outcomes. Uncertainty is uncomfortable when there’s an underlying lack-mindset. Subconsciously I was assuming that something bad would happen if I didn’t take charge.
My ER Wake-Up Call
I recently had to face my fear of uncertainty when I started working as an ER veterinarian full time. If you’ve practiced ER before, you know that you can’t control a damn thing that happens on your shift. I can’t control who walks in. I can’t control if they’re upset, drunk, or have their wife on speaker phone. I can’t control what types of illnesses pets have. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to fix them. I can’t control if an owner can afford care. I can’t control if my swing doctor called out sick. I can’t control what time I’ll be able to sit down and eat. I can’t control if I’ll leave on time. I can’t control if I’ll have an r&a that night. I can’t control if I’ll know how to treat a complex case.
Ouch. That’s a whole lot of uncertainty. As you can imagine, this was highly uncomfortable for me. I missed my lunch break, being able to leave on time, and being able to control my calendar.
I finally surrendered and started digging into why I felt the need to grip so tightly and control situations. I learned to get really comfortable with uncertainty. Reframing uncertainty into possibility is what moved the needle for me the most.
Uncertainty vs Possibility
Uncertainty implies that something bad could happen. There’s no guarantee. No plan. No clarity. It can trigger anxiety, fear, or grasping behavior.
Possibility is the positive reframe of uncertainty. Possibility leaves space for what could be. What if it’s better than I imagined? It puts us into a state of openness to receive.
How Do We Shift Into More Possibility?
It doesn’t happen overnight. Here’s what worked for me:
Reminding myself of the reframe - I take time to pause when I feel anxiety coming up and ask “What’s possible?”
Starting small and practicing - I start with small things to build confidence. For example, I allow my husband to choose the restaurant for date night and realize that 1. it saves me time, 2. he’s chosen some awesome restaurants, better than what I could have imagined, and 3. it felt good to be surprised
Asking ‘What if it works out better than I could have expected?’ - I did this recently on 4th of July weekend when I was initially terrified at how busy it would be. It turns out that I had phenomenal shifts and had Frenchie c-section where we got 4 healthy adorable puppies! It was one of my favorite shifts.
Journaling ‘I Trust This Is For Me’ - Every morning I write down the mantra “I trust this is for me.” Whatever comes, be it good or bad, I trust that it’s meant for me. I’ve learned that even if something initially seems “bad,” it can actually be a redirect or a test to access something better.
Pick one, try it out, and let me know how it works for you!
Toodles 🩵🤙
