Hi guys! Welcome to the 13 episode of the Wildly Successful Lifestyle podcast!
I was talking to a friend today and we were discussing the pandemic and some of the ups and downs we have been experiencing. In case you don’t already know, fluctuating moods are pretty normal right now. So many of us are experiencing one day feeling really motivated and the next day wanting to do nothing but watch Netflix and eat. I’ve had those different moods for sure. Some thinking behind why it’s been extra challenging is because we don’t have a definitive end in sight. If we knew we would go back to normal in two weeks for example, most of us would put our heads down and barrel through it knowing we can do anything for two more weeks, but we don’t know when this ends and that can be very unsettling and create a lot of uncertainty. but is there a way to turn this around? I have a story for you…
There was a farmer that had an old mule, this poor old mule fell into the farmer’s well. The farmer heard the mule’s cries and sympathized with him but ultimately he decided there was nothing he could do to help and figured the best he could do is put the mule out of his misery. so he called his neighbors for help. He told them they were just going to fill the well with dirt, ultimately burying the mule and ending his plight. When the first shovel of dirt hit the mules back he was hysterical thinking this is terrible and he shook the dirt off and as he did that again and again a thought came to him and he just kept shaking the dirt off and stepping up. Shaking the dirt off and stepping up..eventually because of shaking all the dirt off he was easily able to step out of the well because he never gave up and the very thing meant to bury him actually saved him.
So how are you dealing with all of the uncertainty? I personally like a lot of variety in my life but this amount of variety or uncertainty is more than I care to have. People have varying levels of tolerance for uncertainty. Have you thought about your tolerance level?
Did you know that Uncertainty is actually one of the 6 human needs? Tony Robbins talks about this A LOT. ALL humans have this in common and We need them and meet them in different ways. These needs are:
Love and Connection
Certainty
Uncertainty also known as Variety
Significance
Growth
Contribution
This is universal for all humans in all cultures in all countries.
So, probably to a degree, at first when we were told to quarantine most people were like ok this is different, maybe even a little exciting kind of like a snow day. As it went on…we realized the severity and that people were really getting sick and also losing their jobs so the uncertainty got so much worse and kind of has grown from there.
So how do we turn this into something that works in our favor? Just like the mule in the story… How do you turn it around and make it so that it works for you.
One way to manage the level of uncertainty is by managing the other human needs as well. Where are the areas where you can feel more love and connection?
Where are areas that you can feel more certainty?
How can you feel more growth?
How can you contribute more?
How can you feel more significance?
We have a lot of uncertainty right now so there may not be a whole lot of room for more. Maybe you balance it with finding more certainty? Where can we find certainty? How about a solid daily routine? One that no matter what we do. Routine creates more certainty so maybe we have a set point routine. Another way is to completely organize and fix your home so you have certainty there. Creating certainty right now may be more important than usual.
What about increasing your feeling of love and connection? Maybe FaceTiming or zooming with friends? My little sister had a virtual happy hour with 3 of her best friends on zoom and they all got so much joy from that! My mom and dad are having their religious meetings over zoom and they are getting joy and love and connection from that as well.
How about Growth? One thing I and many that have messaged me have found that learning something new is a really big way to limit the uncertainty. Maybe it distracts you but maybe it’s helping you have certainty in that you are making yourself more valuable in your workplace or maybe you are creating more income producing opportunities.
Finally, how can you contribute? Are you reaching out to the community? Are you sending love to our healthcare workers? Many are trying to support local restaurants or even just coordinating fun ways to connect with your neighbors through teddy bears in the windows. Can you start something like that? Think about ways you can contribute….Having a purpose or a mission beyond yourself is a sure way to focus your mind on more positive thoughts oh and it also is a sure way to help you feel significance.
So if you are feeling extra anxious it may be because you have uncertainty overload….think about ways in your life to counteract that by shaking it off and stepping up!
OK guys I hope you enjoyed this message and found it helpful! If you did, I would be grateful for a 5 star rating and if you would share it with your friends. And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @thedeididawson Love you guys! Talk to you in a few days!
