# Sometimes There are No Words but Still a Need to Write By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2024-02-29 Adults do not expect things to go their way all the time. Such notions are usually dispelled in childhood. Analysts who engage in forecasting also develop an appreciation for the unpredictable nature of the future. Good forecasting models are, at times, divergent with an improbable future. Confronting the unexpected is challenging. Depending on the level of shock or disappointment, one can be at a loss. That loss makes many mute. When there are no words, it can still be useful to write. Through writing, one regains at least a modicum of agency. Additionally, one can establish perspective. What is achieved in these initial writings will likely not be the final word one has on what just happened. Rather, these writings act as a foothold for sensemaking. Writing is a small act revealing to oneself that one has not given up, that any shock or disappointment is temporary, and that one will overcome. In terms of individual action, there is a motto: _Start where you are, Use what you have, Do what you can_. There is much value in this insight. We are where we are. It might be precisely where we want to be; it might be far. Wherever “it” is, that is where we must start our effort. The resources we have will always be constrained. One could wish for eternity for more intelligence, money, and charm. Accomplishing things would be easier if more of those resources were at hand. Whatever mix of resources one has at one’s disposal is what one has available to work. Lastly, one might not be able to solve the problem. One can almost always improve the situation. One should engage and do whatever one can do. When there are no words, sometimes all one can do is write. #### Related Items [[Writing]] [[Forecasting]] [[Words]] [[Action]] [[Present]] [[Progress]]