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The Enormous Potential of an Uncertain Future

Today we reprint an article posted by Di Chapman in The Daily Job Hunt blog recently. We think it’s worth repeating:

“When nothing is sure, everything is possible.” – Margaret Drabble

If you’re “in transition” looking for work, or in a job situation that needs to change, it’s perfectly normal to feel stressed, possibly depressed, or absolutely overwhelmed. And, honestly? Platitudes are probably the LAST thing you want to hear.

I understand. But, one thing life has taught me with absolute certainty is that every day holds the potential to create the life you wish to have. Again and again, timeless wisdom tells us that the potential of an uncertain day, an uncertain future, an uncertain circumstance, is unlocked by an attitude of expectation. Each day offers potential for a new you – and it starts with attitude.

But don’t take my word for it. History is full of wisdom from those who have gone before us, giving us quotations like the one above. When you need a “shot in the arm” to keep looking for work, or inspiration to “keep your eyes on the ball,” or the mental fortitude to “get up and get going” another day, try to consider the proposition that there is often truth in the platitudes that swirl around us. You know, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And there is always more than one road to your future.

I’m acutely aware of how immobilized the events of a lifetime can make you feel, no matter what your age or circumstances, but I’d like to ask you to suspend your doubts and disbeliefs about the possibilities for good that might await you today. Withhold your skepticism as you read this, and imagine that your future still offers even a fragment of the dreams you have. Here are some of the ways that I “reset my attitude” on a regular basis. See if they might make a difference in your life, too:

• Set out to give a slice of optimism to someone today. Notice I said a “slice.” You don’t have to bite off more than you can chew. Perhaps for you it means a compliment, a “thank you,” a phone call, or an E-mail. Acknowledge and accept the perspectives of others. We’re all doing the best we can right now, in the “shoes” of our circumstances. There is something you can offer someone you know that won’t cost you a thing. This simple act alone can take your attitude beyond platitudes.
• Get out on foot. Take a walk, and say “hello” to everyone you meet along the way. Notice everything, and marvel at the characteristics of your neck of the woods. Is there something you can do to help your neighborhood? Do you know the neighbors around you? We have become way too sedentary, and a lack of motion in our lives affects us in more ways than one, physically, socially, and mentally. Taking a walk will clear your head, make you healthy, and introduce you to new friends and new ideas for charting a course to your future.
• Do your routine tasks in a different way. We are the habits we do every day. Your daily routine keeps you in the place you are NOW. Take a look around you and catch a glimpse of yourself in a mirror. Your daily routine has created the image you see. When you learn something new, your brain physiologically changes. When you make an effort to listen to someone else’s story, you expand your beliefs and your tolerances. When you visit a coffee shop that’s off your beaten path, you meet new people. When you make new choices, you create a new future.
• YOU are the architect of your life. There is a famous quotation that is often mistakenly said, “Circumstances make the man.” The actual quotation by James Allen is “Circumstances don’t make the man, they reveal him.” Who you are is attributable in large part to how you have responded to your circumstances. Take responsibility for that, and decide who you’ll be going forward – and don’t look back. From now on, realize that your actions reflect who you are.
• Let yourself EVOLVE with the transformation of a new decision. Make the decision to trust that your life will bring forth a new bounty. You CAN be different than you are now. As human beings it is hard-wired within us to fear the unknown, and to be terrified of change. But, as much as our fears give us comfort because they are what we know, they also bind us tightly, and can imprison us with self-doubt and inaction.

Simple changes in your attitude and routine can affect literally everything about you and bring on a new job, a new outlook, and new horizons. If you take it one day at a time, you can capitalize on the platitude “Today is the first day of the rest of your life,” and create today, tomorrow, and ultimately your future, what it stands for, and your legacy. I don’t know about you, but to me, that’s something worth thinking about.

Di Chapman is the Chief Communications Officer and Chief Writer for Power Connections Inc. You can read more of her thoughts at www.thedailyjobhunt.wordpress.com. She can also be found on Twitter at www.twitter.com/InspirationalDi

Susan Howington has 10 years of experience in the Career Transition and Leadership Development industry. She is a former regional executive of one of the largest global career transition and executive coaching firm and is currently the founder and CEO of Power Connections Inc. Click Here to read more of her blogs!

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