As a vision mentor, one question I hear from those I mentor follows me everywhere: “Everything in life is uncertain. Even if I write down a vision, what guarantee is there that it will unfold exactly that way?”
I answer by pointing to history.
Have you ever thought about what freedom fighters, revolutionaries, and visionaries had in common? They faced far more uncertainty than most people ever will. Yet they were absolutely certain of their decisions, their vision, their priorities, and their people. Their circumstances shifted constantly. They did not.
So here is what I ask my mentees. Ask yourself the same questions.
Would you train under someone who is uncertain about what they teach?
Would you invest alongside someone who is uncertain about their own investments?
Would you choose a life partner who is uncertain about their relationship with you?
Would you hire a vendor who is uncertain about what they can deliver?
Would you even order from a restaurant that is uncertain whether your food will arrive?
No one says yes to any of these questions. You wouldn’t, either. So why would anyone choose an uncertain you?
And therein lies the great paradox of life. We remain uncertain about almost every aspect of our own lives, yet we demand certainty from everyone and everything around us.
My answer is this: Be certain within, and write and live your vision. Only then can you endure the uncertainty around you.
— SCD Balaji
