Being OK with Uncertainty
Everyone knows that saying "the only thing certain in life, is death". We all chuckle about that one, but it is very true. There is no certainty in life. And that is a bit scary.
Most of us (me included) are planners. We want to know what is going to happen next, what we should do next, and how do we get there. We struggle to be in control of what is happening, to know the outcome. Struggling seems to be part of human nature when it should not be so. Going with the flow of life as it comes at you is much more difficult than it seems it should be.
This morning I woke up feeling anxious after a long night of tossing a turning, worrying about the future. What is going to happen? Will I find new employment? What does that look like? What do I want for this next chapter of my life? How will I get there? The questions I was asking myself were overwhelming and I needed to take a step back . I realized I don't need to know the answers to everything right now. I just have to take one step forward, do just one thing.
I have learned that when I feel uncertain (and scared) about the future..... tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, I can just let myself be OK with those feelings; let them be and they will pass through. Being a little scared of uncertainty is natural considering the way the (human) world works, constantly focused on the next thing, instead of the thing that is right now, which is actually the only thing.
Once I made the conscious decision to stop worrying, it was easier to do something instead of being rooted / stuck in uncertainty.
We can look to nature for our greatest cues on how to be present with what is now. I watched the birds for a little while this morning taking in the beauty and peacefulness of their colourful antics against the backdrop of grey skies and fresh snow, and I remembered how to just be.
Do one thing that moves you forward even if it is just sitting in silence just being.
Today I am OK with not knowing what is next.
Most of us (me included) are planners. We want to know what is going to happen next, what we should do next, and how do we get there. We struggle to be in control of what is happening, to know the outcome. Struggling seems to be part of human nature when it should not be so. Going with the flow of life as it comes at you is much more difficult than it seems it should be.
This morning I woke up feeling anxious after a long night of tossing a turning, worrying about the future. What is going to happen? Will I find new employment? What does that look like? What do I want for this next chapter of my life? How will I get there? The questions I was asking myself were overwhelming and I needed to take a step back . I realized I don't need to know the answers to everything right now. I just have to take one step forward, do just one thing.
I have learned that when I feel uncertain (and scared) about the future..... tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, I can just let myself be OK with those feelings; let them be and they will pass through. Being a little scared of uncertainty is natural considering the way the (human) world works, constantly focused on the next thing, instead of the thing that is right now, which is actually the only thing.
Once I made the conscious decision to stop worrying, it was easier to do something instead of being rooted / stuck in uncertainty.
We can look to nature for our greatest cues on how to be present with what is now. I watched the birds for a little while this morning taking in the beauty and peacefulness of their colourful antics against the backdrop of grey skies and fresh snow, and I remembered how to just be.
Do one thing that moves you forward even if it is just sitting in silence just being.
Today I am OK with not knowing what is next.
Jack enjoyed watching the birds as well.
Action Is Being
Look at the tree in the front yard. The tree doesn't seem to be doing anything. It stands there, vigorous, fresh and beautiful, and everyone profits from it. That's the miracle of being. If a tree were less than a tree, all of us would be in trouble. But if a tree is just a real tree, then there's hope and joy. That's why if you can be yourself, this is already action. Action is based on nonaction; action is being.
~Your True Home
Thich Nhat Hanh
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