Ambiguity is Your Ally

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Never in our lifetime – as an entire global community – have we experienced the level of ambiguity that we are experiencing right now.

Will the economy come back, will you have enough money to survive, will schools open safely, will a safe vaccine be approved, or even something as simple as will Trader Joe’s have the salad mix I prefer?

We are literally swimming in the pond of these questions every single day. It’s easy to go down a dark tunnel, but in better moments I am able to find some relief. And it’s all about embracing ambiguity.

What if you choose to see ambiguity as your friend and ally? 

What if you consciously designed a relationship with ambiguity, instead of being in a state of ambiguity?

It’s easy to drift away from this idea. I forget that I evenhavea relationship with ambiguity. I am just in it. It’s like that fish concept: fish don’t know they’re in water, for that is all they know. I think that applies to us with ambiguity in our lives. We’re actually in it all the time and Covid19 has simply brought it to a more conscious state.

Now, how to ally with ambiguity?

The truth is we never know how anything will truly turn out: in life, work, and relationships, in all arenas of our life.

Here’s what I do – and I’m always encouraging my clients to do the same – I go before I know!

Go, create, express, learn and repeat.The faster you do this, you’ll experience more success, and you’ll become more engaged with your life. As you be with ambiguity each day, you’ll notice more questions come up… yeahhhhhhh to that! Be with the question longer without needing to know the answer.

A number of years back, I was speaking at a leadership conference and an amazing Fortune 50 presenter boldly said: “Our success is based on this key premise… we know that our organization moves in the direction of the questions we ask ourselves rather that the addiction of needing to know the answers all the time. This applies to our employees asking each other deeper questions, as well as a collective company asking ourselves who do we want to become?”

That has been embedded in my head forever. This week, have a conversation with ambiguity and thank it, appreciate it, welcome it and then see what comes up.

Let me dare to know for you… the insights you’ll gain about your life, your work, your calling, your passions and your creativity will be activated.

And I would be remiss in not acknowledging the loss, heartbreak and pain that so many are experiencing right now. I send full on compassion, ease, peace and health to all that are directly affected. It may feel like a luxury to reflect on this topic of ambiguity, and I know for many that now is not the time to do so.

We simply need to be with each other in this; feeling true loss is not ambiguous. It’s real.

Much love and light to our world.
More to come,

Rick

1 Comment

  • Susan gleeson Reply

    I fully agree! I would say too, ” Our individual lives move in the direction of the questions we ask ourselves.”

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