In this episode, Lee Gale Gruen explores the unavoidable reality of uncertainty and how it shapes life—especially in retirement. Reflecting on the idea that unpredictability is a constant companion, she challenges the instinct to control or eliminate uncertainty and instead encourages acceptance as a path forward. Through relatable examples, including our attraction to risk, planning, and even superstition, she shows how attempts to master uncertainty ultimately fall short. The message shifts toward a more grounded approach: living in the present, focusing on what is within our control, and continuing to move forward even when outcomes are unclear. This thoughtful perspective offers a practical and calming way to navigate life’s unpredictability with resilience and clarity.
Lee Gale Gruen is a regular Podcast contributor for The Transitions Network. She is an actress, author, speaker, and blogger. She focuses on how retirees can customize their retirement to fit their own personalities, interests, and comfort level.
WEBSITE: https://leegalegruen.com
EMAIL: gowergulch@yahoo.com
BLOG: “Reinventing Yourself in Your Retirement Years” https://leegalegruen.wordpress.com
BOOKS ON AMAZON.COM:
“Reinventing Yourself in Your Retirement Years: Find Joy, Excitement, and Purpose After You Retire” https://tinyurl.com/33x9vmcx
“Adventures with Dad: A Father and Daughter’s Journey Through a Senior Acting Class” https://tinyurl.com/5d3yycjw
Click to see the Full Transcript
Neil Rerup (00:03.16)
Hello, welcome or welcome back to my podcast. To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin in 1789, nothing is certain but death and taxes. That old trope failed to mention one other thing that is certain, uncertainty. Uncertainty is a fact of life. It’s a part of each moment of every day.
No matter how assured a future event may seem, it can turn on a dime. We do our best to allow for every possible interference in our upcoming plans. But we are only human and no match for the certainty of uncertainty. Many are drawn to games of chance. Cards, roulette, bingo, dice, the stock market.
and on and on. Through these we can flirt with uncertainty, maybe even laugh at it. It is our feeble way of challenging its ever-present shadow. However, as the habitual gambler can tell you, there is never a way of mastering it in the long run. People are always trying to imagine or event paths to overcome uncertainty.
The bulk of these methods fall into the supernatural realm. However, there has never been any proof that such efforts actually work. Reassurances from authority figures or religion may offer a temporary balm, but uncertainty always seems to triumph. We inadequate human beings can only wail and rail.
So how do we move forward without destroying our lives by constant futile attempts to beat uncertainty? For one thing, we must admit and accept that the only thing that is fail safe is death as old Ben posited. Then we can focus on the business at hand. We can live in the present and not let our minds roam to places with no answers.
Neil Rerup (02:27.769)
There is nothing wrong with trying to explain the unexplainable. However, when you can go no further, accept the reality of uncertainty and boogie on your way.
Yes, we all drag uncertainty along right along with us into retirement. We have to stay vigilant to not let it crush us. We have to go about our business and if things don’t work out as we had planned, we must simply move on to the next thing, no matter how difficult it may be. That’s the way to navigate uncertainty in retirement.
I’m LeGail Gruen. I hope you’ll visit me again here on my podcast, Retirement Made to Order, hosted by the Transitions Network. I will be posting a new podcast twice a week. Feel free to contact me if you want to comment on any of my podcasts. You’ll find my email address in the information that follows or in the description at the beginning of this podcast.
along with links to my website, my blog, and my two books on Amazon.com. Goodbye for now.