At our very core, we are a species that values safety and security more than almost anything else. We plan our lives around how likely and predictable something is, and in most cases we would rather be unhappy than uncertain.
Instead of setting forth into the world with courage and a desire for new experiences, we condition ourselves to the same routines and the same patterns. “Certainty is good, certainty is our friend,” we tell ourselves.
When we confine ourselves to a limited set of options, we limit the types of experiences we can have in this life. By choosing a path of uncertainty, we open up a world of potential.
Without a doubt, certainty offers far more comfort as we trek through our daunting lives. But before deeming if that’s a good or bad thing, we should first look at what it is that we truly desire; what it is that our hearts are yearning for.
That, precisely, is the unknown. Because when something is unknown, it can be viewed with surprise and awe. Isn’t that what we really want? To be able to look at the world as if we were seeing it for the first time? Perhaps…
Seek discomfort. Embrace the unknown.