Living Richly; Dancing with Uncertainty

One of the most powerful lessons I have received in my life and that I draw on heavily in counselling and education with clients is working with the notion of uncertainty.

Uncertainty is harrowing in so many ways. It brings us face to face with the impermanence of life. Love, Life, Relationships and even Orgasm all eventually come to an end. The trouble is when the end is so distracting to us we miss the richness of what is present-in the present.

Now I get anxious, like everyone does from time to time. I also get sad- deeply sad at times about the impermanence of the things that I long for and desire - namely people and sometimes experiences. It's in these moments that I am most notably challenged and compelled to surrender to the notion of uncertainty as a permanent aspect of life. Trying to remain stoic in the face of it is unnerving and my challenge is to bring myself back into balance without getting lost in the outcome of what I fear. I have learnt that when I focus only on outcomes, I miss the experience of being alive. I shut down, become disconnected and fear becomes the default that clouds any capacity for texture and relief.

Discomfort is part of life. I cannot see another way around it. And I wouldn't trade in my capacity to feel in exchange for a life half- lived.