July 27--Embracing Uncertainty

Uncertainty and mystery are energies of life.  Don't
let them scare you unduly, for they keep boredom at
bay and spark creativity.

R.I. Fitzhenry

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Today's Meditation:

Some of the most dynamic people I've ever met have been people who embrace uncertainty, who are willing to put themselves in situations in which they have no idea at all about the outcomes.  Most of us fear uncertainty, because we want to feel that we have a bit of control over our lives, but others thrive on it because they want to allow life to contribute to their existence, and they don't want to just keep doing the same old, same old, just for the sake of knowing the outcomes already.

If we spend our lives doing only those things about which we're sure of the outcomes, then where do concepts such as spontaneity and risk come in?  Is it really possible to be completely in control of outcomes?  We may walk the same path each evening and never explore other paths because we don't know what lies down them, but if we do so, just what will we learn and how will we grow?

Jobs, relationships, places to live, results of actions, sharing our thoughts and emotions, educational programs, investments--all of these and so much more are filled with uncertainty.  But they're what life is about.

Sometimes life gives us signs that it wants us to move on to something new.  The workload becomes harsher, but the pay doesn't rise accordingly.  The weather keeps us sick constantly, while better weather elsewhere could allow us to live healthier lives.  You're passed up for a promotion that you know you deserve because the job was given to the boss's daughter or son.  Such situations often call for a leap into the unknown, but our response to such situations is often to just bear with it because we're unsure of how things will turn out if we take a risk.

Taking uncertainty on, though, does keep us vital and creative.  When things become difficult, we have to think of new ways to cope with problems and issues.  The mysteries of life give us a vitality that doing the same things over and over again never can give us.  Mystery and uncertainty are important catalysts, inspirational elements of life, and it's up to us to search them out and take them on, if we're to make the most of these lives that we've been given.

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Questions to consider:

What are some of the elements of mystery and uncertainty that cause us to be intimidated by them?

What kinds of signs show us clearly that it might be time for us to take on uncertainty head-on?

What are some of the attractive thoughts that keep us from heading into uncertain situations?

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For further thought:

I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing.  I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong.  If we will only allow that, as we progress, we remain unsure, we will leave opportunities for alternatives.  We will not become enthusiastic for the fact, the knowledge, the absolute truth of the day, but remain always uncertain.  In order to make progress, one must leave the door to the unknown ajar.

Richard P. Feynman





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