We like certainty. Who can blame us? Certainty provides a sense of control in an unpredictable world. More importantly in neurological terms, the left brain needs that certainty (even when it’s a fiction) in order to do what it does best, apply logic, reason, analysis, and any number of metaphorical and literal tools to manipulate the environment. That’s it’s job.
As useful as that certainty is, it does have limitations. What gets lost in our reliance on certainty’s utility is mystery. Consider how each of these, certainty and mystery, affect how we show up in the world.
Looking around at the world today, its clear that we are out of balance. We shun mystery because it requires humility, vulnerability, and surrender. Things we undervalue in our efforts to master ourselves and our environment. Things we view as weakness. Mystery requires us to let go of control and trust that things are going to work out the way they’re meant to, even if that may not be the way we’d like them to.
If we can embrace mystery, we can move forward with doing our best and letting go of the rest. We can give up being anxious or even paralyzed trying to get things “right” and turn our attention toward acting authentically, playfully, compassionately, and with heart.
