Life Is Better When It’s A Little Uncertain

Life is better when it’s a little uncertain. Why? Because uncertainty leaves room for the unexpected.

The problem is that many of us have been trained to seek the sure thing. To place our bets on what looks most likely, and to rest in the conviction of assurance. This is especially true if in some shape or form, you find yourself in many comfortable positions and places in your life.

But comfort is overrated, and not only because it is often mistaken for happiness. Comfort, for all its enticement, can be a hindrance to drive, and to destiny. Comfort can be the greatest Achilles Heel.

Uncertainty however, often prompts action and innovation. From the angst of worrying about survival, the human spirit can soar to heights previously unknown. But at the very least, uncertainty reveals character. It discloses whether we are people of fortitude who persevere, and people of faith who hold onto hope. Or whether we are people who shrink into smaller versions of ourselves when the time to stand up and be counted has arrived.

But uncertainty is seldom romantic. It can be overwhelming and overpowering. It can make one anxious. It can make one an observer, rather than a participant in one’s own life. It can paralyze even the most steadfast of humans. Uncertainty, in other words, can be a figurative bastard.

But I wager that life is still better with it, than without it. Life is less mundane. Life is more of a challenge. Life is less predictable. Life is more of a chance to be savored. Life is less discernible, indeed. But life is also full of surprises, and sometimes with uncertainty, come the best surprises.

The truth, I think, is that when we pause to ponder about life in general and our own lives specifically, life does not exist without uncertainty. In fact, certainty in life looks a lot like it’s end – death.

So whatever uncertainties you face, or you suspect you might face, take heart that you are alive. And because you are, though challenges may be faced because of the tragedy of uncertainty, challenges too, might also be conquered.