Maybe Embracing Uncertainty is the Key to Happiness

Accepting that I don't know what will happen has unlocked new levels of joy

Photo by Florian Berger on Unsplash

I used to believe life was predictable. I thought a college or graduate degree guaranteed a good job. I thought hard work and a positive attitude inevitably led to career advancement (or at least job security). I thought anyone who tried hard enough could achieve the results they wanted.

In short, I thought our mindset and actions determined our destiny.

Now I know better. Of course our beliefs and behaviors heavily influence what happens to us, but so do other things we can’t predict. Life is far more uncertain than I used to think.

At first, that realization upset me. It pissed me off to discover that I could do my job well and still lose it. I could work hard and still not earn enough to pay the bills. Good people could still have their homes destroyed by natural disasters or children killed by drunk drivers. Why try to create the life I wanted if it might be unattainable despite my best efforts? And even if I succeeded, I could lose it at any moment?

But accepting - and even embracing - life’s uncertainty has made my life better and happier in many ways. As Wendell Berry observed, “It may be when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work, and that when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey.”

Embracing uncertainty has freed me to take risks my former self would have considered irresponsible. It has enabled me to have fun and enjoy life now instead of believing I must wait until I retire or have more money. It has helped me spend less time worrying about a future I can’t predict and may not even be alive to experience.

It’s also encouraged me to try new things and take advantage of unexpected opportunities. It’s taught me that trial-and-error is often the best way to learn. Mistakes and failures can provide valuable information that helps me figure out my next steps.

All of that has brought more joy into my life. It has given me excitement and enthusiasm I haven’t had for a long time.

John O’Donoghue’s wonderful poem, “For A New Beginning,” which I discovered when

Mary Thoma

shared it in her “Heart’s Content” newsletter, concludes with words that reflect my experience:

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.
Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life’s desire.
Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.

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What new ground do you want to step onto? Are you ready to awaken your spirit to adventure and hold nothing back?

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