Life Redirected: How to Handle Uncertainty During Uncertain Times

This isn’t another article about COVID-19.

Your feed is already inundated with updates, best practices, and probably some conspiracies as well. 

I’m not here to scare you nor will I take an official stance on this pandemic. Instead, I hope this post will INSPIRE and UPLIFT you because if it does that, then I know I’m doing this thing right – which I’ll be honest, I do question from time to time.

Anyways… here’s the deal: life is uncertain. You know this. I know this. But in truth, we don’t always live as though it is.

Instead, we get stuck in patterns of *trying* to find or create certainty (i.e “comfort zones”). We so badly want to know what we’ll happen and when that we’re willing to sacrifice our personal greatness to maintain our comfort zone. 

But neither you nor I were incarnated into this physical experience (which we had a 1 in 400 TRILLION chance of btw) to be ordinary. We are ALL extraordinary. 

So, I’d like to take your through an imaginative exercise…my hope is you’ll do something after reading this article you’ve been afraid to do. And maybe you’ll even tell me about it (I’d like that a lot). 

Now, let’s get to that adventure. Shall we?

Your Grand Adventure:

Imagine yourself as a kayaker on a grand adventure. You know there are certain risks you take when you place yourself at the mercy of the water and its ever changing currents, but you’re willing to flow with life and see where it leads you. After all, there’s SO much you don’t know, and yet you have an undying curiosity to learn as much as you can. Plus, chances are everything will be okay and you’ll have a great day filled with sunshine, happiness, and connection – right?

You zip up your life jacket and push your kayak into the water. At first, it’s easy to go with the flow. And by the time you reach deeper water, you’re able to give your arms a rest and admire the ecosystems surrounding you. Below you, the water is enlivened with marine life and a perfect dance of chaos is unfolding before your eyes. Above you, the air is filled with a flock of noisy birds looking for their next destination. 

“Life is always unfolding. Everywhere.” You think to yourself. “It’s magical.”

You sit for a moment in awe, letting the sun kiss your body. The water gently pushes your kayak to and fro in no real direction. It feels good to feel to be present, aware and connected.  

But, your journey isn’t done yet, and it’s time to keep moving. You pick up your paddle and continue onward. 

30 minutes pass, and while your arms are a bit tired, you’re loving every sound, smell, sight, and feeling you have. It’s been a LONG time since you’ve felt so connected to the world around you, and right now, it seems like things are moving in perfect harmony. 

Then, out of nowhere, the current picks up. Suddenly, you’re struggling to paddle and worried your kayak is going to topple over. You have your life jacket – but what about your phone? Possesions? The kayak itself?

You’re starting to regret this trip, and just want to head back from where you came. Only you can’t. The current is too strong to paddle against it, so you have no choice but to move with IT (as in…the opposite direction of where you want to go). So you do what makes sense – you let go and let life lead you. After all, how much worse can it get? You think. 

Then, it starts to rain. And pour. “Are you f*cking kidding me?” You scream to no one. 

You did your due diligence and checked the weather report before you made the trip. It was supposed to be sunny and clear all weekend. But, the storm still came. It didn’t matter that there was no indication it would arrive. It did. 

Suddenly, a strong wave hits and knocks your kayak over. Just like that all of your possessions are gone. But, you’re not thinking about them anymore anyways. You just want to survive. You struggle to turn the kayak around and get back into it. But eventually, your persistence pays off and you’re back in the kayak. 

Except…your paddle is somewhere in the water. When it toppled over you had to make tough choices. Like whether or not to hang on to that paddle and your belongings…or to the kayak itself. You choose the kayak because #survival. 

Soooo there you are in the middle of stormy and chaotic waters with absolutely no control. You don’t have a paddle. You don’t know when the rain will stop. And you have nothing left but your body and the kayak. 

Realizing there’s nothing you can really do except accept what is, you surrender. 

“I give up! You win!” You shout.

Just then, the sun peeks behind the clouds. The rain stops. The current calms. And your kayak ends up hitting dry land. You laugh out loud. You’re overjoyed, entertained and a bit delirious too. You jump out of your kayak and do a happy dance. You’ve just survived a close call with death, and you are THRILLED to be alive! 

Suddenly, you’re flushed with emotions. There are so many people you can’t wait to call, apologize to, and forgive. There are so many things you can’t wait to do. Things that you’ve held yourself back from doing out of fear and uncertainty. And above all, so much life you have left to live. 

After all, great awakenings and accomplishments aren’t born from comfort zones. And you’ve just officially stepped out of yours. You’re a bit older, wiser and more bruised than you were earlier in the day. But above all, you’re awake. You know you’re here for a reason — and that you’re meant to do more than you’ve been doing. 

Great awakenings and accomplishments aren't born from comfort zones. Click To Tweet

You make a vow to stop living a half-life. You make a vow to give your all, all of the time. You vow to stop wasting your time on social media and doing mindless activities. Time is PRECIOUS, and you realize that now more than ever before. 

Today, your life has officially been redirected. And for that, you are so grateful because it means you’ll finally step into the life you were always born to live. 

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The truth is…life is unpredictable. We can control how we react, but we can’t control what will happen. That’s why it’s so important we’re all conscious of this truth, and flowing with life – even when the current is rough and storms are brewing. 

So what’s the point in living within false comfort zones? They don’t help us, but they do hinder us. 

And today, I want you to do ONE thing to step outside of yours because #yolo. 

So do me a favor, and do something you’ve been holding yourself back from even though in the depths of your soul, you know you are supposed to be doing it. Then, leave me a comment below and let me know what you did.

It’s time to shake things up, and guess what? You’re ready. 

Xx,

Antasha

About Antasha Durbin: Antasha is a spiritual writer and life-long student of the universe. Her website, cajspirituality.com, is dedicated to simplifying the spiritual experience and making it attainable for everyone. Follow her for free, easy-to-digest and highly actionable advice on spirituality, mindfulness and empowered living.