Let me ask you something—how often do you find yourself stuck imagining worst-case scenarios when faced with uncertainty? If you’re anything like me, this probably happens more often than you care to admit. It’s almost as if our minds are hardwired to fixate on what could go wrong. But what if we could change that narrative? What if we could shift our focus to all the good things that might be waiting for us, just beyond what we can see right now?
During a recent all-team meeting OF/BY/FOR ALL CEO, Courtney Harge, brought up something truly insightful in a conversation about human nature. She pointed out how, as humans, we seem to have an incredible ability to predict all the ways things can go wrong. It’s like our brains are designed to prepare us for potential danger, and sure, that’s useful sometimes. But here’s the catch—while we can easily imagine things falling apart, we often struggle to picture all the ways things could go right. The unknown? We tend to treat it like a shadowy threat instead of a space where endless possibilities could unfold.
Courtney explained it so well: "Things can go bad in a number of really predictable ways, and we can see them, but we can't predict the ways things can go well for us." And that’s when it hit me—how often do we stop and give the good things as much attention as we give to our fears? What if we started seeing the unknown, not as a place where only bad things happen, but as a realm where life’s most beautiful surprises are waiting for us?
I want to invite you into this conversation. Let’s sit with this idea for a moment and explore it together.
Embracing Change with Courage
We currently find ourselves at a pivotal moment and our team is navigating a range of emotions including fear, uncertainty, and sadness as we contemplate the potential closure of our organization, OF/BY/FOR ALL. Established during a time of great global change, our journey has been filled with both triumphs and trials. While these challenges have tested us, they have also offered an opportunity for reflection and growth. We recognize these fears and embrace the possibility that our future endeavors, whether pursued individually or together, have the potential to bring abundant blessings and positivity. It’s important to acknowledge the nervousness many of us feel at the thought of leaving behind the liberatory, humanizing, uplifting, and generative space that we have intentionally created together. This environment has been more than just a workplace; it has been a sanctuary where our values align and where we have collectively fostered a culture of support and growth.
The prospect of moving on to different organizations can be daunting, especially when we consider that not all workplaces may reflect the same commitment to a healthy, value-driven environment. There is a genuine concern about finding ourselves in spaces that may not prioritize the well-being and empowerment of their employees as we have experienced here. The fear of losing that sense of community and shared purpose is real and valid.
However, it is also essential to carry forward the lessons and values we have cultivated. As we potentially transition to new roles, we bring with us the knowledge of what a thriving, inclusive, and supportive work culture looks like. This awareness can guide us in seeking out or even creating similar environments in our future endeavors. While change can be unsettling, it also opens up opportunities to influence and transform other spaces to reflect the positive dynamics we cherish.
In this light, while we acknowledge the apprehensions, we also hold onto the hope that our experiences here have equipped us to navigate new challenges and inspire the creation of more spaces that are liberatory and uplifting. The journey ahead may be uncertain, but the potential for growth and positive change remains a constant beacon guiding us forward.
Reframing the Unknown: From Fear to Possibility
Take a second and think about this: when you’ve had amazing things happen in your life—things that made you feel joy, success, or pure excitement—could you have predicted them before they happened? I’m guessing probably not. Most of the best things in life seem to come out of nowhere, don’t they?
This idea, that the unknown doesn’t just hold potential for disaster but also for abundance, is something we don’t talk about enough. When uncertainty looms, our natural instinct is to prepare for the worst. And while there’s nothing wrong with being cautious, we rarely give equal time to imagining what might go right.
Courtney’s words struck a chord with me. She said that while the bad things can be predicted—because they often follow a pattern—the good things are trickier to foresee because they can unfold in so many different, unexpected ways. That’s the key difference. The good surprises, the blessings, they don’t follow a straight line. They come from directions we couldn’t have anticipated, involving people, opportunities, and moments we couldn’t have scripted even if we tried.
Think about it this way: the unknown doesn’t automatically mean we’re headed for disaster. It simply means we’re headed into a space where we can’t fully predict what will happen. And yes, that can be scary. But it also means we’re headed into a place where life might surprise us with things far better than we ever imagined.
Can you see how that perspective shift changes everything? Suddenly, the unknown isn’t just something to fear—it’s something to be curious about, something to approach with an open heart.
Learning from Nature’s Cycles: A Model for Our Own Lives
During this same conversation, I offered my colleagues a reflection from nature that I think tied everything together in a way that just clicked for me. In the natural world, plants seem to go through the same kind of cycles we do. Have you ever looked at a tree in the middle of winter? To the outside world, it looks dead. The branches are bare, there’s no sign of life, and if you didn’t know better, you’d think it was over for that tree. But every spring, it comes back to life with an abundance that’s impossible to predict during those cold months.
I shared with my team that "it seems like it's impossible to survive another winter. To our surprise and delight the very next season brings an abundance of fruit that you can see, smell, and taste. It’s so delicious you couldn't have imagined that the peach would be as juicy as it is." How true is that? After the barrenness of winter, it’s hard to believe the tree could ever bear fruit again, but it does—every single year.
The parallel to our own lives is so powerful, isn’t it? Just like those trees, we go through seasons where we have to let go of things. Sometimes we shed parts of our lives that no longer serve us, and it feels like we’re left standing there, exposed and empty. But those barren times are just one phase of a larger cycle. We’re not meant to stay in that place. There’s always another season coming, and with it, new growth—new opportunities, new joys, new “peaches” we never could have imagined when things felt bleak.
So here’s a thought: what if, instead of fearing the bare branches of our lives, we trusted that spring would come again? What if we accepted that the unknown isn’t a final destination but a temporary pause before life blooms again in ways we can’t yet foresee?
The Art of Holding Both Grief and Hope
Now, I’m not suggesting that we pretend the tough parts of life don’t exist. Quite the opposite. What I’m inviting you to consider is that we can hold both grief and hope at the same time. Life is rarely all good or all bad; it’s a mix of both. And when we face uncertainty, it’s perfectly normal to feel a sense of loss or anxiety over what we might be leaving behind or what we can’t control. But what if, alongside that grief, we made room for hope?
Courtney put it beautifully when she said, "We are dealing with the ways that this can branch into positive and exciting and fruitful blessings." It’s a reminder that even when things feel like they’re falling apart, they might actually be falling into place in ways we couldn’t have imagined.
Take a moment and think about this in your own life. When was the last time you faced a situation that felt uncertain or scary, only to later realize that things turned out better than you could have predicted? Maybe it was a job opportunity that seemed shaky at first but led to something great. Or a relationship that ended, which hurt at the time but made space for new connections you wouldn’t trade for anything now. The point is, that life has a funny way of surprising us with abundance, especially when we least expect it.
How Can We Embrace the Unknown?
So, how do we begin to approach life with this kind of mindset? How do we hold space for both the grief of uncertainty and the hope for what’s yet to come? Let’s talk through a few ways we can all start doing this together.
- Acknowledge the Fear: First, let’s be real with ourselves. It’s okay to feel scared when we don’t know what’s coming. Give yourself permission to sit with that fear, but don’t let it be the only thing you focus on.
- Balance the Fear with Possibility: Here’s where the magic happens. When your mind starts racing with all the things that could go wrong, challenge yourself to also think about what could go right. What if things turn out even better than you expect?
- Look to Nature for Reassurance: Remember the example of the trees? Let nature remind you that after every season of barrenness comes a season of growth. Just because you’re in a tough spot now doesn’t mean it will last forever.
- Stay Open to Life’s Surprises: Some of the best things in life come out of nowhere. Keep yourself open to the idea that the unknown might just hold your next big blessing. Be curious about what’s coming, even if you can’t see it yet.
- Practice Holding Both Grief and Hope: It’s okay to feel sad about the changes you’re going through. But alongside that sadness, make a little room for hope. Life is full of dualities, and learning to hold them both at once can give you a deeper sense of peace.
Let’s Face the Unknown Together
As you continue through whatever uncertain season you might be facing right now, I want you to remember this: the unknown isn’t your enemy. It’s simply a place where you don’t yet know the outcome. And in that space, just as much as there’s room for things to go wrong, there’s room for them to go right. Maybe even better than right—maybe they’ll turn out beautifully, abundantly, in ways you can’t even imagine right now.
So let’s hold onto that hope. Let’s be open to the possibility that life has something incredible waiting for us just around the corner. And as we do, let’s remind each other that we can face the unknown not with fear, but with curiosity, trust, and a little bit of excitement for the surprises that just might be waiting to unfold.