Uncertainty

The idea for this piece came to me unexpectedly. I was sitting at my desk in the office, half-focused on my work, when I glanced out the window. Just a little while earlier, the sky had been bright and clear. But now, a sudden downpour was streaking down the glass. That simple, abrupt change from sunshine to heavy rain struck me. It made me think about how we often move through our days with an assumption of certainty. In that moment, watching the unexpected rain, I realized just how fragile that assumption is. If the weather could turn so completely without warning, then so can anything else in life.

I once perceived uncertainty as something to be feared. However, the more I reflect on it, the more I recognize it as a catalyst for our growth and learning. Admittedly, I still have moments where the unknown feels daunting (Arent we all?). Yet, I've grown to understand that uncertainty is an intrinsic part of the human experience. Rather than resisting this reality, perhaps our greatest opportunity lies in embracing it. Life gains a deeper meaning when we learn to appreciate the small, unexpected moments it brings.

My fear of uncertainty used to make me overthink everything, constantly running through "what if" scenarios. Then, a core idea from Stoicism completely changed my perspective: focus only on what you can control. Internalizing that single thought has made all the difference.

Now, my life feels much lighter, and I can deal with uncertainty in every aspect of my life. I've discovered that our capacity for uncertainty isn't fixed; it's like a muscle that gets stronger with practice. It help me to shift my mindset from "what if it goes wrong?" to "what if it goes right?"

Why do we automatically assume uncertainty is a bad thing? No matter how much we prepare, life will always surprise us—and that’s what makes it an interesting. A perfectly predictable life would be incredibly boring. This doesn’t mean we should throw all our plans out the window. As the saying goes, it’s always smart to sedia payung sebelum ujan. Having a backup plan is wise, but we also have to make peace with the fact that we can't control everything.