How easy is it for you to be in a state of not knowing? Not knowing what will happen next? Not knowing your next step? Not knowing who you are as you’ve evolved into this present moment?
Not knowing can be an unsettling prospect. We like to know. We like to think that we know.
It is much more comfortable to feel like we have it all figured out ~ like we are guaranteed the outcome of our desires. And most of the time, we do feel like we are in the know when it comes to what our day will bring and what we can expect from each other.
The truth is though, that things can change on a dime. We find a sense of security with the thought that we can expect things to move along as they always have. Of course, we feel more secure when that expected direction is something that we want.
Alternatively, when we find ourselves stuck in situations that challenge us, we might pray for things to change while harbouring a suspicion that they never will because we know how these things have always played out in our lives before.
What if we got really cozy with the very real state of not knowing? What if we made friends with the reality that we could be surprised at any moment? And what if we began to anticipate that these surprises could be enriching and life-affirming as opposed to dark and threatening?
Serving Consciously
Recently on Serving Consciously, I interviewed Alexander Demetrius who has immersed himself in the vast expanse of the unknown and has discovered the rewards inherent in it.
Alexander Demetrius’ literary contributions have primarily been influenced by Joseph Campbell. During his lifetime, Campbell was one of the world’s foremost authorities on global mythology. Using Campbell’s monomyth or hero’s journey, Demetrius discovered that critical events from his past paralleled the typical sequence of events found in practically every narrative throughout the world.
The Reward of Not Knowing is an account of Demetrius’ memoirs, transformed into an epic journey that began in San Antonio, Texas, and spans across the Pacific Ocean to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he currently resides. What makes his journey unique is that much of it took place within, where so few ever voyage.
Through careful reflection and examination, he overcame some paralyzing characteristics that once constrained him to a life of insanity, orchestrated by his mother who suffers from dissociative identity disorder or multiple personalities.
Tap into All that You Do Know
It is easier said than done ~ this idea of being comfortable not knowing. Sure, we can acknowledge that we are lacking information in the moment or that we can’t see the next step on the path, but feeling comfortable with it? That’s another story.
To assist ourselves in this process, we can shift our focus to what we do know for sure.
Do you know that you can trust yourself?
Do you know that you can have faith in the process?
Do you know that you are capable of getting back up EVERY time you fall down?
Do you know that you are loved?
How connected are you to your resiliency?
How connected are you to your capacity to care for yourself?
How connected are you to your internal guidance system ~ your intuition?
How connected are you to a sense of self-love and self-worth?
If things go wrong, do you know that you can course correct?
If you feel unsupported, do you know you have your own back?
If you are frightened by what’s around the next corner, do you know that you can face whatever comes?
If you can’t see the forest for the trees, do you know that clarity resides within you and will eventually emerge?
Tune into all that you know to be true regardless of any evidence. Allow the unknown to exist without pressure from you to be different. Be patient as new information becomes available.
Learn to dance with the mystery.
