Jody Rose Helfand

Many of you know that almost 7 weeks ago, I left Hawaii to travel.  I asked the Universe to show me new things-- to teach me new lessons; I knew it was time to do this and to experience the next level of spiritual growth.

This has been a year of change and I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.  Think about what's changed for you this year and why it's changed.  For me, when something changes, it means I'm ready for the next lesson.  And the next lesson has been to be fine with uncertainty.  To welcome uncertainty, because the idea of uncertainty having a negative connotation is a construct.  The fear associated with feeling uncertain or unsure of when, why, how, where something will happen is not real.  When we were born, we didn't know uncertainty.  Can you imagine as a two year old, worrying about who would feed you or being uncertain if the people around you would take you to the bathroom when you needed to go?  And trying to control the outcome even when you didn't have to go to the bathroom-- meaning always worrying about the future? When we were very young, we didn't worry about the idea of uncertainty.  We accepted it.

As we grew older, uncertainty became sinister.  Somewhere along the way, we were taught that we needed to know all the answers-- the who, the why, the where, the what, the when.  And this is simply the ego needing to control outcomes, and when this happens, the exact opposite happens-- not only can you not control outcomes, but you don't get what you want because you're trying to control the outcomes.

So how do you become okay with the idea of uncertainty?  Here's what I learned so far on this trip:

1. Recondition your thoughts about the idea of uncertaintly being negative.  Say: I appreciate uncertainty.  Uncertainty is exciting.  Uncertainty is a normal and natural part of living.  Uncertainty is peaceful.  I am okay with the idea of uncertainty in my life.   And if this is true for you, you can also say: As a child, I accepted uncertainty and I was safe.

2.  Let things happen.  Let things flow.  Don't intervene if you hear that voice that says not to intervene.  That voice is subtle and is your heart's way of saying to relax, to trust, and to wait.  Listen to that voice.  It's the voice that knows the empowerment achieved with accepting uncertainty. 

3. Stay in the present.  Worrying about the future is projecting events that may not even happen.  Be in the moment.  Remind yourself of what you're eating, what you're seeing as you drive.  Remind yourself of how our fingers feel as they type on the keyboard.  Work on staying in the present by paying attention to what you're doing-- by paying attention to the people around you and to nature, too.  Sharpen your five senses, because your five senses relate to how you pay attention. Paying attention helps with understanding that uncertainty is a normal part of life, because when you're in the present (paying attention), you're not thinking about how to force something to happen that you want.  It either happens or it doesn't happen and being okay with uncertainty is being okay with the outcomes.

As I write this, I don't know where I'm going to end up living, how I'm going to get to the next city I'm going to, who I'm going to meet, etc., but it's okay, because I'm not supposed to know.  Needing to know is the ego's need for false security.  And I'll have my setbacks about all of this uncertainty, sure, but I'll also recognize what's happening, too and change my internal dialogue so that I welcome uncertainty, and recognize the important gifts it offers me.  Because I know (my heart knows) that the knowing comes once I accept the idea of not knowing.