Earlier this week, a post on Marc and Angel Hack Life got me thinking. It was a list to Marc and Angel from their father of 10 things he wished he knew earlier in life. I have looked back numerous times in my life and wished I had done something differently. If only life was as simple as traveling back in time and magically making changes.
The first item on that list is “uncertainty is certain”. We never know what lies around the corner and what tomorrow brings. I don’t know what will happen even 10 minutes from now. I do know that I need to keep moving forward and trust that things fall into place in my life.
1. Uncertainty is certain.
There is no antidote to uncertainty. Everything is always uncertain. There are infinite possibilities, which is what makes miracles possible. Life is about dealing with the question marks and making the best of them without any guarantees for what’s going to happen next.
Nobody on Earth knows how things will turn out for you, which is why you have to press forward every day on the heels of your intuition and passion. If you give it your all, sometimes amazing things happen, but they’ll rarely be precisely what you had expected.
I keyed in on “Life is about dealing with the question marks…” Each of us is on a different life journey. Our paths are driven by question marks. All day long we make routine decisions that steer us in a new direction. Often these questions lead us into unfamiliar territory and force us to make choices that are uncomfortable.
In recent years I have undergone two life altering surgeries: triple cardiac bypass and weight loss. Each forced me into unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory. In each instance, my life was consumed with dealing with the question marks.
Big changes in life require a good bit of risk. It is all about the undiscovered territory. I trusted the choices I made and pressed forward. Some choices were good. Some choices were bad. Whether it was a good or bad choice, the result was the same. I was facing the next question mark.
Life is about dealing with the question marks is an understatement when you are facing a time of great change. Big changes involve big questions that have big implications. For many these questions are overwhelming. I freely admit that they were and continue to be so for me today.
Marc and Angel’s father adheres to the same philosophy as I do. The second paragraph in his uncertainty is certain bullet spells it out nicely. No matter how bad things are going, you need to press on and turn in the right direction. Trust yourself, your choices, your intuition, your mind and your heart that you are heading the right way.
In the end you may find yourself in a place you never dreamed. It could very well be more amazing than the place you dreamed you would be. Don’t get comfortable since tomorrow will bring new challenges, new questions and new opportunities to find yourself in a more wondrous place.
Tom, words well stated. One thing that I’ve learned about myself over the years is despite my situation good or bad I’ve always known that if I just get out of bed, put my feet on the floor and lean forward the day would begin. Now that I’m older I realize it is my faith that keeps me moving forward. And because I am a techie science girl I also know there is some gravity working there too. If you learn forward your body will propel you. Self propulsion. Ok I’ll stop there 🙂
In summary. Keep moving. Love you Tom!