What To Do When We Don’t Know What to Do

What do we do when we don’t know what to do? This question summarizes the chronic condition that we are facing these days: VUCA, an acronym used to describe the state we are living in: Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity.

If I am being honest, my head has been flooded with all the recent events happening in our world. There is no doubt in my mind that our world is not only globally experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic but also our hearts are being awakened to the paradigms of power and its embedded systems that are beginning to crumble.

For me, these last 14 months have been intense and have made me have to confront myself, questioning my personal beliefs and values.
What do I believe about health and medicine? 
What do I believe about media and truth?
What do I believe about race and equity?
What do I believe about the environment and the consciousness of living things?
What do I believe about structures and systems in education?
What do I believe about personal choice and freedom?
What do I believe about gender?
What do I believe about money and financial well-being?
What do I believe about friendship and connection?
What do I believe about the purpose and life meaning?

I am still very much in the throes of self-reflection as I recognize the complexity of the issues that are rising to the surface. I feel very much like a chrysalis in a cocoon. Unfinished but preparing to emerge. I believe that many of us are in this state of ambiguity and transformation. I am reminded of a Native American Indian Teaching:

Message from the HOPI Elders

“There is a river flowing now very fast.
It is so great and swift
that there are those who will be afraid.
They will hold on to the shore;
they will feel they are being torn apart
and will suffer greatly.

Know that the river has its destination.
The elders say we must let go of the shore,
push off into the middle of the river,
keep our eyes open and our heads above the water.

And I say, see who is there with you and celebrate.

At this time in history,
we are to take nothing personally,
least of all ourselves,
for the moment we do,
our spiritual growth and journey come to a halt.

The way of the lone wolf is over.
Gather yourselves.
Banish the word struggle from your attitude and vocabulary.

All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner
and in celebration.

WE ARE THE ONES WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.”

For me, this captures this moment in time in which a great shift is upon us and provides a lot of useful advice. Because we are in the midst of change, a new timeline of possibility is being created. We cannot see the road ahead because we are building the road into this new future with every thought and action we take now. Despite the precariousness of the situation, nevertheless, I feel optimistic and enthralled with the changes that are yet to come. I resonate with the opportunity for celebration.

So as I think of the school years ahead, I consider the message of the Hopi Elders. What wisdom, keys and insights are contained in this message as to how to approach uncertainty:

Know that the river has its destination.
The discomfort we feel right now is temporary. We should embrace the challenges and trust that they will lead us to a new place, personally and professionally.

We must let go of the shore
We must accept the change. We must update and upgrade our ways of teaching and learning. Using technology to teach is no longer an option–it is a new normal in how we approach pedagogy.

Keep our eyes open and our heads above the water.
There are systems that are antiquated and can even be oppressive in our schools and we must not only draw awareness to them but have the courage to challenge them.

The way of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves.
Silos within our schools and communities can no longer exist. We must improve our ability to collaborate and strengthen our relationships. We NEED each other.

Banish the word struggle from your attitude and vocabulary.

Our trajectory is determined by our mindset. We can no longer view change as a problem, we have to reframe this crisis as an opportunity to innovate and accelerate new possibilities for humanity. Growth is a good thing. 

These are some phrases that stand out to me. What ideas stand out to you? I think many cultures and civilizations have had to contemplate handling serious threats to their way of life. So, reflecting on their wisdom can help us to navigate change.

I would like to suggest that the only reason we view this moment as a “crisis” is because we feel surprised and unprepared. But what if we perhaps viewed this moment as an amazing turning point in which we started to expect the unexpected and developed strategies and solutions that make us more creative and resilient. What if we became comfortable with being uncomfortable? And what if we became more curious about challenging our fears?

Although I feel so much disequilibrium and confusion, I am choosing to embrace VACU. In my mind, that’s the only thing we can do when we don’t know what to do.