Enabling your future

Do you ever wonder why un-certainty causes so much worry and fear? What is it that we are truly afraid of? When we are facing possible changes in our career or a big move, why do we not view that as an endless possibility of future happiness? Why, instead, do we wrap ourselves up in continuous worry and anxiety about all the "what if's"; waiting for something to go wrong?

These are some thoughts that have been in my mind of late. As I near the end of my nursing studies and begin to embark on a new adventure as a registered nurse, I have been faced with many uncertainties. In New Zealand we are highly encouraged to enroll in an after-graduate nursing program that allows us the opportunity to work for a year as a registered nurse, but at the same time continue our education and work with supervision and guidance from more experienced nurses. These programs are highly competative to get into, and unfortunatley it's not very easy to obtain employment without having completed the program. Because of this, a lot of student nurses find that in the final year of study a lot of anxiety is triggered by the upcoming applications to these programs and the fear of not getting a place. On top of that, you add the stresses of finding employment in the location where you wish to live. (Not to mention the added pressure of having a spouse who must also find a job in the same location.) It is all rather intense.

I like to believe about myself that I am not an overly stressful person, but that I am somewhat easy going and take things as they come - It has occured to me lately that I might be kidding myself! I think it is natural that all of us have a tendency towards worry and stress when we feel that things are out of our control, and the future seems un-known/un-certain. We all like to be in control, ae!

I read an article about Embracing Uncertainty that really made me re-think how I view this upcoming change. It reminded me that I can either look towards the future with fear and anxiety, or I can embrace the possibilities that these changes will bring and allow myself to have control over my emotions in the process. I am the only person who can control how I feel about the situation and I have a certain self-responsibility in that. I have the opportunity here to enable myself to find happiness in this present moment even when there is chaos and un-certainty around me. I have control over that part.

So, for me, the lesson here isn't that there is some magic answer around how to stop stressing over the future; but rather, that in amongst that stress I have the ability to find peace and to just embrace all the posibilities that will come in their own time.

Are you facing some big changes ahead of you? Try letting go of all the anxiety and un-certainty and just allow yourself to find peace in knowing that YOU have control over how you react to this present moment. You have the ability to enable your own happiness.

Mantra: "I allow myself to rest in the peace that is mine in this present moment, and to look upon the future with ease, knowing that the possibilities ahead are enabled by my calm of mind."  ~ Namaste