Navigating Uncertainty: The Power of Choosing Differently

Something is changing… and it’s happening in the middle of uncertainty.

A few weeks ago, I shared that my mentor and new boss is leaving. Not immediately. There is still work for her to do here. We still have time.

And yet, things are shifting.

Meetings are getting canceled. Plans are moving. An interim is stepping in. A liaison is stepping up. There’s a lot in motion, and not everything is clear.

Through it all is uncertainty.

And if I’m honest with myself, I don’t feel how I expected to feel.

I expected to feel anxious. Worried. Distressed. 

But instead, I feel steady. Curious. Even a little excited.

I’m observing. I’m learning. I’m continuing to do my work, part of which right now includes a series of one-on-one conversations with teammates.

Each conversation is different.

Each reaction. Each perspective. Each way of processing what’s happening.

And in the quiet moments, after the conversations, in between the movement, I find myself reflecting.

Not spiraling. Not rushing to conclusions.

Just noticing.

Here’s what I’m learning.

1. Be intentional with my thoughts

I’m noticing how quickly the mind wants to brace. Or react. Or spiral.

To scan for what could go wrong. To prepare. To protect.

And for a long time, I thought that was helpful. Responsible, even.

But lately, I’ve been asking a different question. Not “what will go wrong?”

But “What if it goes well?”

Not as a way to ignore reality, but as a way to expand it.

Yes, there is change. Yes, there is loss. Yes, there are unknowns.

And also… There is possibility.

Possibility that I step more fully into my own confidence.
That I trust my voice without needing it to be echoed back to me.
That relationships don’t end, but evolve.

I’m learning I don’t have to follow every thought my mind offers.

I can choose the ones that move me forward.

2. Be aware of who I’m aligning with

Uncertainty doesn’t just reveal circumstances. It reveals people.

I’m noticing the subtle differences in how we each respond.

Some lean into possibility. Others into fear.
Some stay open. Others grow quiet, guarded, or reactive.

And none of it is wrong.

But it is informative.

I’m paying closer attention to how I feel in conversations.
What lingers after.
What expands me and what contracts me.

Not in judgment, but in awareness.

Because alignment matters.

Where I place my energy — who I listen to, who I stand beside — shapes how I move through moments like this.

And I want to move with intention, not absorption.

3. Be impeccable with my word

In moments of uncertainty, words can either steady or unravel.

I’m becoming more aware of mine.

The casual comments. The subtle self-deprecation. The temptation to meet uncertainty with speculation or side conversations that don’t actually serve anyone.

And I’m choosing differently. 

I’m choosing words that are clear. Direct. Kind.  

To opt out of conversations that don’t align.
To resist the pull of gossip or negativity, even in its quieter or more subtle forms.

Not perfectly. But intentionally.

Because words don’t just reflect where we are, they help create where we’re going.

And I want mine to build something better.

The Unknown

I don’t have everything figured out.

There are still unknowns. Still moving pieces. Still moments where I catch myself drifting into old patterns.

But I notice sooner now.

And in that noticing, there’s a pause.

And in that pause, there’s a choice.

Not about controlling what’s happening around me but about choosing how I respond, not just react.

Maybe this is what it looks like to live in the middle of uncertainty…

and still choose who I want to be within it.

©2026 Lori Ann King