The Silence of Uncertainty!
There is silence… dead silence.
Only the ticking of the clock… 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 seconds.
Each second feels like a lifetime… because you’re waiting!
Waiting for the phone to ring.
For a WhatsApp notification.
For anything, just anything to break the silence of waiting…
Your thoughts on the other side are screaming, raging – louder and louder.
“Just now ..,” “What if…”
The voices in your head are driving you mad. You don’t know how to quiet it.
You cover your ears – it doesn’t help.
You clench your teeth – it doesn’t help.
You pound your fists into the bed – that doesn’t help either.
Would it help if you screamed back? Would they be quiet then?
“Beep beep!!!” You jump out of your skin.
It’s WhatsApp. You’ve been waiting for this.
But now your hands tremble with a bigger “what if” and “just say”.
You close your eyes to gather your courage. You blow out a hard breath.
You open your eyes. With a shaky finger you swipe across the screen. You hold your breath and you read:
“All is okay.”
You burst into tears!
The moment is too big. Yes, yes, it’s what you hoped for –
But not knowing was absolute hell.
There is nothing as ominous as the silence of uncertainty.
Nothing as nerve-wracking as not knowing.
Why?
Because our brain makes up stories!
Stories that don’t really exist – that may never happen.
But the brain has the ability to color them in and imagine them in the finest detail.
Details that say you won’t survive this.
That it will be awful.
And the worst part – you can’t even run away from it, because your brain runs with you.
So what on earth do we do to survive uncertainty?
Here are my 3 best tips:
1. Listen to overpowering or comforting music.
The kind of lyrics that take over everything and instantly shift your mood.
Music that plants a better story or memory in your brain.
2. Believe with EVERYTHING in you that the best outcome is possible.
Your brain wants to protect you by making you “scared” so you can “run.”
Silence it by reminding it of a God who is far bigger than any impossibility.
Find a scripture you can repeat over and over as a prayer.
3. Find something to do!
Keep your hands busy because your hands need your brain, and this distracts it. Choose something you enjoy.
Or if not your hands, then your feet – walk in a space where your eyes see something different than the everyday things your brain is used to.
Or alternatively, find good company with whom you can have an uplifting conversation.
Idleness is the devil’s playground.
Rather do something instead of just sitting and waiting.
Christopher Moore reminds us that “Action based on hope feels better than the paralysis of uncertainty.