Feelings follow focus. Here at Moodscope, we don’t ‘do’ politics, but we do ‘do’ how to live well in the world about us. Without delving into the politics, we all know that the world is changing, and, temporarily, in the direction of less certainty. Let's focus on certainty.

Thus, I ask the question, “How can we build certainty in uncertain times?” Much of the answers I suspect we will all share today in the comments will come down to the important concept of ‘agency’. Agency is the sense of control we have. It is our ability to initiate and control our actions – to be in charge.

To become an agent of certainty, we accept that we are producers of our circumstances not merely the products of them. As our circles of concern expand, and our circle of influence contracts, we do well to focus on our circle or control.

I once heard a definition of ‘rebellion’ that stayed with me, “My father told me to, ‘sit down!’ but I was standing up in the inside!” This is our own Central Intelligence Agency – our minds. Can we control our thoughts? Maybe not 100% but we do have this sense of agency on most occasions. If we can control most of our thoughts, we can thrive if those thoughts line up with our clear values. For example, if we believe we’re here on Earth to leave it a better place as a result of our contribution, then every positive thought that leads to beneficial action is going to help how we feel.

The best buddy of ‘Agency’ is ‘Proactivity’.  How could we proactively improve our sense of control this week?

If we focused on our time, how could you and I proactively tell our time where to go rather than wonder where it went?! How could you improve your diary management this week to do more of what you’d prefer to do? “Time, don’t wonder where it’s gone, tell it where to go!”

What about other areas of organisation? When you drive your own organisation of time or materials or events, that feels like control. What could you organise this week?

Relationships is more challenging because we certainly don’t want to ‘control’ our relationships, do we? However, I suspect we are far more powerful as influencers than we give ourselves credit for. It often looks like we have the power to make others feel better – whether through a positively targeted specific compliment, or a careful curated smile, a well-timed telephone call, or a perfectly planned surprise. How could you take control of giving someone the opportunity to feel better about themselves this week?

Controlling your own processes of reflection also helps bring clarity alongside certainty. Being certain of what you don’t want and what you do want is really helpful for the way your brain works. What could you do this week to sharpen your vision of the kind of future you’d like whenever that future is – near, mid, or distant?

I can’t wait for the comments!

Lex

A Moodscope member