Have you ever had the experience of just beginning a new novel (such excitement and possibility!) and someone says, “Oh, I loved that book, but it just wasn’t believable when she died at the end.” Whaaaa? And just like that, a 543 page carefully crafted story is ruined by one off-hand remark. Even if the descriptive writing is brilliant and the plot twists intriguing, if we know how it ends we won’t bother reading it.
Yet how much do we long to know what’s going to happen in our lives? We want to know if this relationship is the one; if this diet will work; if our chronic pain will go away; when our child will get his/her act together; when our boss will recognize our contribution, and on and on and on…..
We are uncomfortable with the unknown when it comes to our lives. Mystery is just fine for our paper-bound heroine, but not for us. Many legitimate and not-so-legitimate psychics have made handsome livings by advising clients what to expect for their lives in the future.
Let’s face it - the unknown can feel scary! It shakes whatever tenuous grip we feel we have on controlling how life unfolds.
We need to know! We need to prepare! We need to be ready and set our expectations accordingly! Or not.
The unknown might feel scary, but it’s where possibilities and potentiality reside. Most of the coolest things that have happened in my life I could never have anticipated or even hoped for. A chance encounter that led to a great new job; meeting my now-husband at a dance class I did not want to attend; and encountering some of the loveliest people I know.
Conversely, some of the worst things that have happened, I could not have anticipated, nor prepared for either, and honestly, who wants to live life that way? Skulking about with a baseball bat, peeking around every corner in an effort to not let anything catch us snoozing.
Instead, try seeing yourself as the heroine in the novel of your own life (the greatest book EVER!). While it is my passion to help clients consciously create their lives, we can’t control other people or circumstances, world politics, nature, and much, much more. Some people see that as a source of stress, but I like to look at it as the unread chapters yet to enjoy, not wanting to jump ahead to see how the story ends.