ANECDOTE
When my sons were growing up on Maui, we drove all over the island to soccer games, surf spots, Little League tournaments.
I always kept the “Book of Questions” in the van. If I was chauffering a gang of kids somewhere, we would pick a page, and everyone would answer that question.
One Saturday morning, we were driving up to Hosmer’s Grove for a hike. 10-year-old Harry opened the book and read this question out loud. “Your parents drop you off at a beach and will pick you up later that day. After they leave, you discover it’s a nude beach. Do you stay?”
Silence from the back seats. Then, Harry pipes up, “Are there good waves?“
Bada boom. I had to pull over, I was laughing so hard. I said, “I’m going to check back in six years, Harry, and see what your answer is then.”
It was Andrew’s turn next. He turned to a page with this question, “Would you rather know exactly when you’re going to die and how, or not know?”
Guess what we ALL said? We’d rather not know.
Why? Because life is a mystery. There are no guarantees. No certainties.
That’s what makes it fun and exciting. NOT knowing what’s next.
Perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate your relationship with how you feel about VUCA – Volatility. Uncertainty. Complexity. Ambiguity.
VUCA is a fact of life. And, it cannot be the lead domino in your decisions. You can take it into account, adapt to it, and integrate it, but don’t let it stop you.
It’s not something to be afraid of, it’s something to embrace.
We cannot predict or control everything that will happen. We can control what we do about it. Therein lies our agency. Therein lies our destiny.
ACTION
Grab your journal or open your notes app.
Ask yourself, “What do I truly, deeply want?”
That is your constant…. Your North Star.
What is yours to do is to move that forward – understanding, accepting, and embracing that things will change – and you’ll adapt to them when they do.
P.S. Are you and/or your group in the midst of VUCA? Want to get the confidence/clarity to move forward vs. staying in limbo? Let’s chat to arrange a presentation or private consulting.