A lesson from Tony Robbins: Certainty & Uncertainty
Among the many ideologies I have studied, one that brought much clarity was Tony Robbins teaching of the 6 basic human needs. For the sake of this post we’ll explore the first two: certainty and uncertainty.
The first human need is certainty.
Certainty = knowing what is going to happen and devising a plan for achievement.
Second is uncertainty.
Uncertainty = the unplanned events in life and learning how to adapt.
The number one rule to having a plan is understanding that it will never go according to plan.
Humans incessantly try to devise a plan and stick to it perfectly, yet uncertainty always finds its way in. This is okay, and actually good, because certainty only exists because of uncertainty. Without either we would have neither.
When teaching this, Tony Robbins asks the audience “who likes surprises?” A majority of hands go up “bullshit, you only like the surprises you want, the rest you call problems.” Tony proceeds. It is this rudimentary paradigm shift which makes all the difference. The realization that for every upside there is an equally crucial downside
Among our race there are compatibilities and incompatibilities, whether they are good or bad, right or wrong, is merely a derivative of there associated meaning. What means one thing here, may mean the opposite elsewhere.
I challenge you to take up this paradigm shift and begin to view the world not in a sense of right or wrong, or good or bad. Rather understand there must exist certainty, with this there must also exist uncertainty.
This, I hope, will make living much easier, as it has for me!
- Fred Posimo
