Learning to Live with Ambiguity

Lately, many of my clients have been sharing a common theme — the strain of uncertainty.

Concerns about the economy, wars around the world, and personal health worries such as waiting for medical test results can leave us feeling like we never get a break. Others wonder whether they’ll ever find the right life partner or if they’re on the right path in their careers. It’s as though ambiguity has become the air we breathe.

And yet, if we step back and look through the lens of history, we find that humanity has always lived amidst uncertainty. There have always been wars, disease, and social unrest. What’s different today is not the presence of uncertainty, but the pace and volume of information that delivers it to our doorstep. Interestingly, science tells us that our brains are wired to crave predictability — ambiguity activates the same neural pathways as physical pain.

But the good news is that we can train ourselves to live more peacefully with the unknown.

Research on mindfulness, emotional regulation, and resilience shows that focusing on the present moment can buffer us against the stress of “what if” thinking. When we bring our attention to what is real and true right now — a nourishing meal, a conversation with a friend, the feel of sunlight on our skin — we reclaim our “worry energy” and redirect it toward what sustains us.

Living with ambiguity doesn’t mean giving up on clarity; it means learning to find steadiness even when the ground shifts beneath us. It means trusting that we can meet life as it unfolds — one breath, one meal, one conversation at a time.

I invite you to reflect this week: How might you use your energy to nurture yourself and others, even — and especially — in times of uncertainty?