Befriend the Unknown: A Shift in Mindset
At 10 a.m., a last-minute “Team Communication” invite from our SVP popped up on our calendars—just three hours before the meeting.
No context. Just a Microsoft Teams link.
At 1 p.m., 300+ faces appeared on the call, engaging in lighthearted small talk. But really, we were all bracing ourselves for what was to come.
It’s fair to say that most of us, myself included, were preoccupied with one question: What’s going to happen to me?
Understandably, many fear being laid off—this job allows us to provide for our families, pay mortgages, and afford everyday essentials. The thought of giving up our current reality is hard because it feels safe, known, secure.
On the contrary, the unknown—what comes next—feels terrifying.
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“Katie has decided to leave the organization,” our EVP, Sara, announced. Just last week, she had shared that she, too, was leaving the company.
They both spoke candidly about their decisions, while reiterating their enthusiasm for the company’s new focus under our new CEO.
What struck me most wasn’t their departure—it was their attitude toward change.
“Change excites me,” Katie said, acknowledging the bittersweet moment.
“Growth requires change,” Sara emphasized, bookending the conversation with this reminder.
Neither of them flinched in the face of uncertainty. Instead, they welcomed it. There was no hint of fear, no sense of hesitation—only confidence, poise, and authenticity.
It was an aha moment for me.
They didn’t deny that change is uncomfortable or that the unknown can be daunting. But they recognized that within discomfort lies an opportunity—for growth, for reinvention, for something greater than what we can currently see.
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I’ve replayed the call in my head several times, and I realize now: I need to adopt a new mindset toward change—one that shifts from fear to a warm embrace.
Befriend the unknown, because growth requires change.
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What about you?
What’s your current attitude toward change? What new possibilities might unfold if you befriended the unknown instead of fearing it?