‘Uncertainty is the only certainty there is’ (and that is only half the quote, sigh).

Would you rather listen? Press ▶️ below for the audio recording.

'UNCERTAINTY is the only certainty there is’ was coined by mathematician John Allen Paulos. While that is a novel thought, a head scratcher perhaps, the phrase holds little hope.

In a previous post I introduced you to the concept of F.U.D.G.E. (Fear UNCERTAINTY Doubt Guilt and Exhaustion). Today I am showcasing the next ingredient of F.U.D.G.E.: UNCERTAINTY. 

F.U.D.G.E is something we usually nibble on, and we have too much at times. You can have your F.U.D.G.E with nuts, or be nuts yourself. UNCERTAINTY is real, and if you’ve even been in caregiving or faced with navigating healthcare then you’ve likely been FUDGE’d.

I love living in UNCERTAINTY -said no one ever. Un-certainty almost always is un-pleasant. But like so many challenges in life the problem is all about how we meet it, how we react to what is presenting.

Let's walk around the word for a minute and look at UNCERTAINTY for what it is. It's a state of being, and as already mentioned, not entirely pleasant. There are questions and seemingly threats. UNCERTAINTY is a great second cousin to Fear which I talked about in a previous video and post. 

The good news is that UNCERTAINTY can be time-limited. 

The good news is that UNCERTAINTY can be time-limited. No one stays in UNCERTAINTY 100% of their lives, and so we can combat it when it pops up or we can shorten its grip on us. The UNCERTAINTY itself can diminish or we can take action to diminish it. There may be some choices here. 

 UNCERTAINTY by its very nature is prodding us to take some sort of action. We want or need information. We want to change things. Perhaps we lack what we need to make good decisions or choose next steps. UNCERTAINTY does call us into action, so there is that positive attribute. 

We recognize UNCERTAINTY when we see it or when we feel it, this one's more automatic. We may not have to “get in touch with it,” or dissect it as much as we do Fear (the “F” in F.U.D.G.E). We just know that we’d like it to end so that we might feel its opposite: certainty.

Let's talk about alleviating it. (When said aloud, do you hear the word “leave” in there? Kind of - sort of? Y’all know I like to play with words, and when I can use a word like a-leave-iate, to remove something, just know that I am smiling inside. Join me?).

We are aware of when we're in UNCERTAINTY, and there is an opportunity here. We can change it, change things. We can change the UNCERTAINTY or we can change ourselves. We can change how we greet - or meet- it. We have options. 

It’s been my experience in life, and healthcare, and aging matters, that we are best helped with more information. Education is helpful, and I help folks with discovery. In healthcare, people come to me to learn how things work. Things like:

What is this diagnosis, and what does it mean to me and my loved ones?

How does this hospital system work, or discharge to home? 

Do I know all I need to know to protect myself or my loved one? 

We can pursue these questions and add more information to arrive at answers. We're going for that best outcome. 

In caregiving, UNCERTAINTY in the form of questions can abound. 

What’s going to happen, how do I protect, how does this all work? 

What's going to happen next, or on my watch? 

How do I coordinate the growing number of pieces in this puzzle

When planning for aging successfully UNCERTAINTY can take on a new, personal dimension.

What is going to happen to me?

Who will be there for me?

How am I going to pay for things? 

No one among us can predict the future yet we're somehow supposed to plan it.

Planning and allowing for UNCERTAINTY can be as daunting as trying to pin the tail on the donkey while blindfolded. The most important point I'm driving at is that we will all experience UNCERTAINTY. Some of us are going to meet with UNCERTAINTY more frequently, and some of us for an extended period of time. UNCERTAINTY tugs at our sleeve, saying “Not sure, not yet” or  “Get me out of here!” UNCERTAINTY manifests as a sort of tug, and can grow to run the show. It likes to ride along with us. Let's find a road map to get out.

The trick is how we meet it.

The trick is how we meet UNCERTAINTY. First, we learn to recognize it. See it or feel it.

Then we can determine if our response may be to avoid, absorb, alleviate, solve, or even set aside. See, already there are  plenty of options!

We could wait a bit until circumstances change, or until more is known. I often suggest a notion, a technique that I call “Setasideability.”

Setasideability. Yes, I know that is a made-up word, but it fits. (I make up words often when trying to get my point across; it’s faster than hmmm...-ing for the right word or phrase).

Here’s how Setasideability works:I suggest to folks that they place that ol’ UNCERTAINTY in the corner overnight. It’s there where you can see it, and you can keep an eye on it. It will wait. And it will be right there when you decide to pick it back up again. But if it is eating your lunch or preventing your sleep then just move it over into the corner for a bit while you take a walk, watch tv, or prepare some dinner. Set it aside until later. 

Another way that Setasideability helps is that the control is yours. You decide, decide to put it down and when to pick it back up. That provides some welcome control of circumstances at a time when you may feel out of control.

Plenty of people contact me for assistance with finding solutions for things that confound them, confuse them or to a-leave-iate their “Just get me out of here!” situations. As an expert in healthcare navigation and a strategist for aging, I'm a good bet. I will show you the way out of UNCERTAINTY. Let’s get you where you need to be.

In the beginning of this segment I led with a quote by John Allen Paulos quote, but I’d omitted the second half. The full quote reads 

“UNCERTAINTY is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.” 

 That, my friends, is where I want us to go.

Is UNCERTAINTY ruling your roost? Want to meet it squarely or set it aside to learn more? Want to diminish UNCERTAINTY and replace it with security? Book a Consultation to work through your concerns today.www.nancyruffner.com