Certainty can bring stability and security for us so that we know that these things are there for us should we need or want them regardless of the other things that may happen around us which may be subject to change.
Certainty can come in the guise of a regular job, a place to go for that job, a desk to sit at, a mentor at work, or even just a regular catchup at the water machine in work breaks.
Heraclitus, the ancient Greek philosopher, quoted hundreds of years ago, that “Change is the only constant in life”. One could safely agree that his quote would still ring true for all of time. Therefore, it makes sense to embrace this change and be positive about the future. In order to do this, we need at least some level of clarity and certainty to guide us through the uncertainties and change in life as it continues to move us along our journeys.
Without them, it could be fair to say we could be very vulnerable to experiencing severe anxieties and meltdowns.
I recently had a client who was really struggling with his life in general even before Covid, and then obviously it was simply amplified once the pandemic hit. He didn’t like his job and was uncertain of how long he would be in it. He didn’t have a steady girlfriend and was uncertain of when he would meet the right person. In addition, he was not settled in his living environment due to both of the above and his lack of progression at work because he didn’t enjoy it.
After having some in depth discussions around all of this we were able to get to the bright side. His certainties were his strong relationship with his dad (who advised him to seek a therapist) and the satisfaction that he could take his current knowledge and expertise to another field of work as soon as he was ready and able to. He also realised that if he were to be a happier person overall by changing his own perspectives and outlook, he was more likely to meet someone new and thus be in a long-term relationship where he could settle down.
For me, that was ‘mission accomplished’ because he soon started to make some well needed changes that increased his levels of certainty in these crazy Covid times!
