If you have everything under control, you’re not moving fast enough.-Mario Andretti
Sure, having everything planned and to have things fall into their places as and when required, sounds tempting and the concept of no problems sounds very utopian but guess what, you thrive in chaos.
You live because you have problems, things to do, things that need to be controlled. In fact, you are your mess.
The Concept Of Uncertainity
We’re comfortable with not knowing. We’re more focused on thoughts and activities that are constructive, we’re more interested in learning and experimenting, we're interested in exploring.
Your ability to question the ways of the world, the ability to be inquisitive is why you live.
We live because there are questions that are yet to be answered.
But, we’re made to believe we should always have the answers. So when we don’t, we become uncomfortable. We become sponges that absorb emotions like anxiety, stress and discomfort. Emotions that take over.
Sure, figuring out answers to all your questions is thrilling but what we often forget is that, without questions there are no answers and without uncertainity there are no opportunities.
The Problem With Uncertainity
We seek to understand, predict and control – it helps us learn and it keeps us safe. Uncertainty can feel dangerous because we cannot predict with complete confidence what will happen. As a result, both our hearts and minds may race.
Psychologists suggest that, intolerance of uncertainty could quite potentially harm our mental health. Chaos or uncertainity is a trauma that haunts some people; creeping through their mind in the middle of the night.
In the film, Hope Springs Eternal, the main character's cancer goes into remission but, she does not know how to react at first. The dying girl is no longer dying, isn't that a good thing? Not for Hope Gracin, she lived her life as if it had no purpose given that she was dying, but one days she finds out that everything she didn't work for would now become a reality and she cracks due to the chaos.
On the contrary, some people come out of tragedy stronger and better. They learn to crave chaos to feel at home, to breathe a breath of fresh air in the midst of disaster.
The thing is that we can't judge those that have a hard time assimilating to a new normal because we don't know how chaotic their last normal was.
Here's why you shouldn't have everything under control
Happiness or comfort is not a stand-alone feeling, no feeling is. We appreciate happiness because sadness exists, we fear death because we live. We thrive in the contrast.
We ask because there are answers. We work because there are goals to achieve.
What we must not forget is, the sun rises again because the moon sets; every night brings with it a morning.
So the next time you’re faced with uncertainty, before you let those negative emotions take hold, stop, observe. Then realise that there’s probably a lot of good stuff that you can make happen as a result.
Because we’re lucky to live in a world where things aren’t always certain. How boring would it be if everything was?
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