The certainty of uncertainty. [Wise Wednesdays]

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The only certainty is uncertainty. And even that is uncertain…

So how do you make decisions?

  1. Option 1: Make predictions

  2. Option 2: Freeze

  3. Option 3: Take blind action

Seeing news of the massive earthquake in Myanmar, which was felt all the way in Nepal where I had visited last month, was clarifying. There is no certainty. But that doesn’t mean you freeze (or even just fall back asleep, accepting the inevitability of death and hoping for the best like I did during the earthquake in the middle of the night).

This is the time of visionaries, mystics, and the sombre willingness of ordinary heroes.

Sometimes we have to march on dark roads. And sometimes we sit in open fields, listening for signs.

Right now, my senses are heightened, picking up on patterns and attuning to accelerating trends: AI reshaping human relationships, geopolitical shifts disrupting careers, and climate change transforming financial systems. Lately, it’s taking longer for Wise Wednesdays to form in my mind—it feels like the sheer volume of data and emerging insights take more time to configure.

This heightened sensitivity brings more data to process, but it’s also what has allowed me to act ahead of trends and make bold career and life decisions that later gained wider acceptance.

This year, I’ve also noticed that coaching conversations feel more alive when exploring how to lead for liberation rather than control, and how to make career moves that are aligned with rapidly evolving societal contexts, moving away from outdated models of success that are no longer ‘safe.’ Some coaches I know are also sensing a shift toward presence-based spaces that support wise decision-making amid complexity, and a move away from the traditional focus on performance and growth. 

As leadership coach and Buddhist practitioner Rasmus Hougaard identifies in his survey of CEOs and leaders: humans will no longer produce content (which AI will do) but will be required to understand context.

Of course, it may feel like a luxury to be able to slow down and sense. But might it be worth cutting out some social media, news, or phone time and allowing your higher cognitive faculties to come online?

What’s a shift you’re sensing amid uncertainty in your environment?How is it reshaping an area of your world?

What do you need to do now?

It seems we’re firmly in the Age of the Sensemakers.

Have a great week,

Amina




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