When it comes to the new year, the thought of a whole blank slate stretched ahead of you can be both exciting and daunting.

They say that between the ages of 18 and 25 you are in a perpetual state of uncertainty. I know in the past few years I have experienced the up and downs of that. Uncertainty bubbles under the surface of daily life, just a tad bit more than it did in high school. When things are going well, it manifests as excitement and mystery, and when things aren’t going so well, it manifests as stress, frustration, and even sometimes panic.

I’ve learned that no matter what your dreams are, or how stable you might feel in the plan you have laid out in front of you, uncertainty will always rear its ugly head. But I’ve also learned that because it is always there, it doesn’t necessarily always have to be negative.

I once expressed to a friend that the uncertainty I had was overwhelming and scary. He seemed surprised, because he saw it as something exciting, simply a part of young adulthood. We all have different perspectives on the future, and his new outlook gave me a light of hope in my own dark and uncertain view of my own.

There is really no way to be certain of everything that will happen in the future, which is why uncertainty is something we should all learn to live with, and maybe even live in harmony with. There is nothing wrong with a plan, and in fact some semblance of organization can be a coping mechanism for many.

But even the panic or the stress or the frustration can be a good thing. It makes it all worthwhile when you finally find that glimmer of clarity at the end of the tunnel. But panic and fear don't have to be without hope. Walking, or rather stumbling along without knowing exactly where you’re going is how you learn - about yourself, about the world, and about other people. Life shouldn’t be about finding stability or truth as fast as you can and hanging onto it. It should be about building relationships, finding small moments of clarity, and acting for the sake of something you love. And I guarantee that is not the way to certainty. But maybe that is ok.

So this new year, if you’re like me and you’re unsure of what is to come, take a deep breath and ride out the panic. Feel the small certainty that you are alive, and that you would not be here if you weren’t meant to do something important.