Finding Certainty In Uncertain Times
Despite the uncertainty outside of us, there is always a certainty we can find within ourselves that will always give us a safe space to search, learn, and grow while the world is on pause.
By 
Matt Wilks
With the world on pause right now and the uncertainty of 2021 just around the corner, I have found it so incredibly easy to allow the anxiety, distress, and the unknown of what’s to come to cloud my judgment, my mood, and my way of life. To be honest with you, there are some days when my anxiety is through the roof, and the stress of craving human connection but not being able to have it sometimes feels unbearable to deal with.
However, I’ve learned through this pandemic that often the answers we seek are much closer than they appear. I’ve decided to lean more into myself for the answers. Not necessarily for the solutions, per say, since the solutions can only be solved on the outside, but rather, for the answers to understanding why I’m feeling a certain way by first cultivating and creating a better relationship with myself.
Despite the uncertainty outside of us, there is always a certainty we can find within ourselves that will always give us a safe space to search, learn, and grow while the world is on pause. I myself have found therapy through words and writing by expressing my voice in more aspects than one. Although wholesome (and often lonely if you spend too much time doing it), I’ve found certainty in passion and comfort while knowing I’ll always have writing to come back to, no matter what happens in the outside world. That’s a gift and a privilege I truly couldn’t live without anymore, and if not for the pandemic, I would have never found it.
The truth is, we can’t control what’s happening in the outside world right now. We crave control in all aspects of our life, and it’s only natural to feel uneasy with so much uncertainty in the world right now. But through it all, I think this is the perfect time to discover more about ourselves and about our passions, our hobbies, and what makes us feel vibrant and alive. If it wasn’t for this pandemic, I would have never found my love for writing fiction or my love for even trying to learn the guitar. These are other things I found by looking for certainty in myself during a time of stillness.
This uncertainty has forced me to grow, and when I look back one day at this crazy year that each and every one of us have experienced, we will all remember how life-changing it was, how essential it was, and most of all, we’ll remember the opportunity it presented to us—the opportunity to see love, peace, and fulfillment in all of life, despite whatever may be happening in the outside world.
A lot of people are struggling right now. They may not show it on the outside or through their social media feeds, but deep down, we’re all dealing with something. Our lives are far from perfect. That’s the reality of it. But nevertheless, this is a time to lean more into your loved ones, your passions, and your joy by letting your soul guide you down whatever path may feel right for you at this moment.
Oftentimes, when we go through hardship, we feel alone. It’s a lonely time right now in the world, but it’s also an amazing time to better yourself and your outlook on life. Take a moment to pause, reflect, and contemplate about what you really want from life when the doors finally open up again.
This moment is temporary. This pandemic has a light at the end of the tunnel. Even if we can’t quite see it at the time, this is life giving you an opportunity to pause and find yourself again. But more profoundly, it gives you the opportunity to find out who you want to be when life opens back up again.
And on a final note, I also want to stress how important it is right now to reach out to friends and loved ones. Behind closed doors, someone out there is struggling. Someone out there feels ever so alone. If we can all come together right now and be there for one another, then we can find certainty in uncertain times. We can find salvation in unprecedented moments and end up walking away from this pandemic even better than when we had started.
This is a time to come together, not a time that will last forever. Let’s make the most of a tragic 2020 and look to a better 2021 that’s just around the corner.
