How are you doing today?
Really. How are you doing today?
For many people, today represents the great unknown. No one is really sure what happens next and where things go from here. The pervasive thought seems to be:
“…now what?”
I can’t tell you what happens next and I can’t tell you it’s all going to work out well. What I can tell you is that this moment - this feeling of uncertainty, trepidation, and nervousness - is not unique. It may be more intense today, but it’s not unique.
I want to remind you that EVERY DAY represents the great unknown. No one is really sure what happens next and where things go from here - Every. Single. Day. Because we’re all mortal.
Of course, the standard tendency is to tuck that little fact away in the cognitive dissonance file folder and act as though we’ll always have more time. After all, we’ve woken up every morning so far, haven’t we? Why wouldn’t we wake up tomorrow?
Yes, that approach makes it easier to get out of bed each day, but it also robs us of some important things.
It dulls our ability to see magic and delight in the everyday. It mutes our sense of wonder and gratitude.
The Excitement of the Unknown
I also want to remind you that looking into the unknown and saying “…now what?” isn’t reserved for ‘bad’ or scary things.
Wow, I just landed a new job! Now what?
Incredible! We’re expecting a baby! Now what?
Our sense of wonder naturally leads us to exclaim “now what?” Think of the first time you saw a caterpillar’s chrysalis.
We don’t know what we don’t know. Just because a large part of our brain is constantly seeking safety in familiarity and predictability, doesn’t mean we’re not equipped to handle new challenges - good or bad. Remind yourself of that.
Just because our brain wants safety in familiarity and predictability, doesn’t mean we can’t handle new challenges - good or bad.
Remind yourself of that.
Opportunity in the gap
Very often, the thought “now what?” comes up simply as a reaction.
However, if we’re able to take a breath and pause for just a moment, we can realize there’s an opportunity in that moment. The opportunity to move “now what?” from being passive to being more active.
It can be a reflective choice point where we take control… not of the situation, but of our reactions and our actions.
Reactive - “Now what’s going to happen to me/us?”
Active - “Now what am I going to do with this new information? What will I think? How will I respond? What actions can I take?
Today, or any day, if you catch yourself saying or thinking “…now what?” accept it as an opportunity to shift.
Thanks for practical and actionable advice!! So much is out of our hands but reflection is something we CAN do. Cheers Patrick.