Many people speak of the importance of certainty. They say that to succeed you must be rock sold and certain in your position. They say that you must resolutely ‘hold the line’.
I disagree. I suggest that growth happens when we surrender to the uncertainty that lies just beyond the known and familiar.
The certainty trap is a state of holding on tightly to the trapeze bar in the metaphor that we spoke of previously.
This is a state in which there is zero learning. The paradox is that it is important to hold on to the bar but it is equally important to let go of the bar at the right time and enter the world of uncertainty.
And so, transformation of fear may have nothing to do with making fear go away, but rather with giving us permission to “hang out” in the space between trapeze bars.
To be OK with not knowing – to ask open questions of people about their perception and viewpoint – to be out of control – a state that is intimidating to people who may feel insecure about their position.
Transforming our need to grab that new bar, any bar, is allowing us to dwell in the only place where change really happens. It can be terrifying. It can also be enlightening, in the true sense of the word. Hurtling through the void, we just may learn to fly!
Next time you notice yourself faced with an opportunity to transform, to do ‘not me’ behaviours, to see things from a different perspective, to say it how it is for you, to jump in where you previously would have pulled back, to be irrational where you previously would have been rational or to be rational where you previously would have been irrational just try it on – give it a go.
Now, it doesn’t take swinging from a trapeze or jumping off a cliff to make these transformational leaps. We have opportunities to do it all the time.
From this discussion I suggest that there are four essential life principles within the in8model that help to align your perspective and inspire profound transformation … we will continue this discussion soon.
