Stepping through the scary door

If you are a fan of the TV series Futurama like me, you may have heard of The Scary Door. It’s the show’s equivalent of The Twilight Zone – an entrance to a land of bewilderment where there are more questions than answers.

I imagine standing in front of The Scary Door is not unlike dealing with any big changes in our lives. We are regularly faced with situations where we must make a choice without having full knowledge of the current situation or how the outcomes will play out. These types of decisions can be scary because they introduce elements of uncertainty into our lives. And some do better than others at dealing with uncertain circumstances, particularly around segments of their lives that rightly deserve protection. Introducing risk into areas that we care a great deal about is an act that can affect us and those around us deeply, and requires careful consideration.

A great example of this type of decision is whether or not to change career or start a business. On average, we are at work for approximately one third of our lives. Work is not just a source of income and a means to achieve a lifestyle we are comfortable with, but it provides us with purpose and fulfilment. Often we find a sense of identity in our occupation, and introducing sweeping changes to it is bound to be an upheaval for even the most resilient among us. And yet, many of us decide to make the leap – the promise of a better life, the opportunity to pursue our passions, or the chance to contribute to society in a more meaningful way are too alluring to ignore.

This is the other side of The Scary Door. There may be more questions than answers in the immediate future, but making a good decision in spite of this can lead us to a better, more interesting life. After careful consideration of the risks, it’s often worthwhile to face big changes with a brave face and meet the future head on – after all, we rarely wish to change things we are truly happy with and tackling change in a positive way can have an amazing impact on our wellbeing.

Approaching change with confidence is exciting. It opens a world of opportunity to those who are seeking it. Ultimately, confidence is not about knowing that things will go well, it’s about knowing that you’ll be able to deal with the outcome if things don’t go as planned. Given the current lockdown, I suspect that many of us will be faced with big decisions about what lives we want to lead in the future. I hope you face these decisions with confidence and a smile on your face.

Stay safe, and stay positive!
Ben

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Ben Ross
Ben Ross

Director & Co-Founder at Humans of Code

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