Hey Reader,
There’s a kind of confidence that comes from being calm in the face of uncertainty.
Anyone can feel calm when life behaves.
But not everyone has mastered the art of staying calm when things get very uncomfortable.
In today’s issue, we’ll uncover practices to find peace in the face of curveballs.
💭 “The ocean doesn’t calm down. The captain does.”
In August 2010, a gold and copper mine collapsed in northern Chile.
Thirty-three miners were trapped nearly 700 meters underground.
No light.
They had limited food.
No way to know if anyone was coming.
No certainty they’d make it out alive.
Luis Urzúa, the shift supervisor, stepped into leadership.
He didn’t promise rescue dates.
He didn’t pretend things were fine.
He created order inside the chaos.
He rationed food immediately, dividing two days’ worth of supplies into strict portions.
He set sleep schedules, assigned roles, and created routines.
On the 17th day, a drill finally broke through.
The miners tied a note to the drill bit. It read: “Estamos bien en el refugio los 33.”We are well in the shelter, the 33 of us.
From then on, supplies and communication flowed through narrow tubes.
69 days after the collapse, a rescue capsule called Fénix brought the miners up one by one.
And Urzúa insisted on going last.
Imagine the thrill of being calm and surviving such an unpredictable and life-threatening situation.
🧠 When peace depends on control, uncertainty becomes the enemy
Most high performers cling to control as a way to feel safe.
We like the idea of a great plan, being proactive, thinking ahead, reducing surprises, and achieving predictable outcomes.
It’s how you’ve built what you have.
But the moment something shifts, we tend to spiral.
Get anxious, tense, or reactive.
It’s like our peace depends on everything behaving.
So uncertainty can knock us off easily.
A delay, a decision you can’t rush, or a sudden, unexpected change in plans.
Then comes that restless need to figure it out, trying to create perfect conditions just to feel okay.
The panic, overthinking, anxiety, fear, and even fragile confidence.
It’s not that you’re afraid of the discomfort.
You’re just easily worn down by the idea of being taken unaware.
That’s why uncertainty hits harder than it should.
Because you haven’t fully developed the internal steadiness to stay calm in uncertainty.
❤️ Real peace doesn’t come from certainty
If your peace depends on everything going alright, it’s not peace, it’s control.
Moments of uncertainty need you to pause, trust yourself, and breathe.
That’s when your mind becomes clear enough to tap into your training, gifts, experience, and abilities.
When you’re this deeply rooted in who you are, you stop tying your peace to outcomes.
You know that even if things don’t go as planned, you won’t lose yourself in it.
You’ll be mentally strong enough to withstand curveballs.
Less distracted by what has happened or what might go wrong again.
More present in what you can do NOW.
You’re still aware of the risks.
But you’re not rattled.
You’re calm because you trust yourself inside it.
You don’t send reactive messages you regret later.
You don’t jump into decisions just to get relief.
You give conversations a little more space.
People feel safer around you because you’re not acting from a place of unstable emotions.
And that inner stability becomes your advantage, edge, and freedom.
It’s thrilling.
🤲 Be steady in uncertainty
You won’t always be in control.
Being calm when shit hits the fan sounds easier said than done.
But it’s doable.
Start by reflecting on these questions in the face of uncertainties:
- Instead of trying to control everything… ask yourself: What’s the one thing I can influence right now?
- Instead of reacting the moment things go off-plan… think: What’s the strongest response I can give, not the fastest?
- Instead of spiraling into worst-case thinking… ask: What evidence do I have that I can’t handle this?
- Instead of reacting to fix the discomfort… think: Which of my strengths can I apply to calm or resolve this issue over time? The idea is to respond, not react.
- Instead of tying your peace to outcomes… ask: Who do I want to be in this moment?
The honest answers to these questions will help you handle unforeseen circumstances a lot better.
🎯 Build your peace from self-trust
What would change if your peace didn’t depend on certainty?
What would you do if you trusted yourself a little more?
And learned to stay grounded while things are unsettled?
As Marcus Aurelius put it, “You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
Shit happens.
But what matters is how you respond to it.
Talk about being unfuckwithable.
With appreciation,
Huw
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Huw Edwards
Founder & CEO, h3.xyz
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