4 Strategies For Living At Ease In Scary Times
Certainty is the one desire universally craved but always out of reach
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In 2003, a sales mentor of mine taught me one of the most valuable lessons I’ve ever learned about persuasion. Over the years, it has proven itself as a core principle for living in a world full of scary uncertainty.
How does a persuasion principle double as a strategy for living in the angst of our doom-and-gloom world? Here’s how my mentor explained it.
When trying to close a deal, he said, your prospect craves certainty, and they’ll hesitate to agree with your terms until you eliminate their doubts. Their uncertainty may refer to your ability to deliver, faith in your promises, mistrust, or lack of belief your solution will work for them, even if it has done the job for others.
“Certainty,” he said. “It’s the one desire universally common and perpetually elusive, and most of us don’t even know we crave it.”
In sales, it’s challenging but doable. As hard as we try, we cannot eliminate the uncertainty. Life is unpredictable, no matter how hard we plan or control for outcomes.
In today’s world of never-ending upheaval, we face each morning fearing another once-in-a-generation climate disaster, pandemic, war, political clash, or economic collapse. We lack any means of exerting control of these events even though we know they’ll happen, often when we’re least prepared.
The intersection of adverse outcomes and lack of control creates uncertainty, leading to constant stress, angst, and fear. You can try to reason with yourself or divert your attention to nonsensical reality shows, but that feeling of dread won’t disappear by ignoring it. By practicing these four strategies, you can learn to thrive no matter what scary uncertainties you face.
Witness the world when it overwhelms you
Several years ago, amid perpetual insomnia, my doctor prescribed a powerful sleep aid. I had mentioned my hesitancy to use drugs to fix my insomnia. Still, she advised that some patients feel less anxiety about going to sleep, knowing they have this tool as a backup, and that alone makes it easier to fall asleep.
