Pathwalking 59
Though a paradox, it is postulated that we all need certainty and uncertainty in our lives.
Following my last post, I want to further examine the “six core human necessities”. As suggested by Tony Robbins, we all need certainty, uncertainty, significance, love and connection, growth, and contribution. I agree with this notion, and believe that it ties into Pathwalking rather well.
Certainty and uncertainty are respectively the need for stability/security and the need for variety. The problem with this, of course, is that they are opposite one another in many respects. Thus – a paradox.
I keep referring over the past couple weeks to paradox. Just in case you are unfamiliar with the term, let’s visit dictionary.com.
par·a·dox [par-uh-doks]
noun
1. a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
2. a self-contradictory and false proposition.
3. any person, thing, or situation exhibiting an apparently contradictory nature.
4. an opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion.
Life, as I have said before, is full of paradox. We strive to find truths that often meet the first definition above. And suggesting the need for both certainty and uncertainty is a part of that.
Let’s take a closer look at this, and how it figures into our core. Certainty, the need for stability and security in many ways might seem opposite to Pathwalking. In many ways, walking your own Path is anything BUT stable. At least, from a certain point of view. It might look unusual, and against the norm.
However, I would postulate, Pathwalking is in part about FINDING security. Sure, I can do as I am ‘expected’ to do, work the 9 to 5 job, have a hobby like golf instead of medieval fencing, marry and produce children. But if that is not me, if that is not conducive to the path I wish to walk, how will that provide ME with stability and security?
I want to make the choice for my destiny. I want to find the balance that will let me walk the path of my choosing, and allow me to live the life I WANT to live. Maybe, to those not inside my head, this looks like it lacks in stability…but truth is, if I am certain about my path, and choosing to walk my path – I have achieved certainty, haven’t I?
And then there is uncertainty. The need for variety. Stability and variety aren’t exactly opposites, but they don’t seem like concepts that work together. Variety implies change, instability, and the unexpected – where stability is about the expected. Stability is knowing how and why, where uncertainty tells you it is not sure of these things.
Pathwalking, however, is equally about uncertainty as it is about certainty. How many times have I previously made reference to the fact that the path is not straight, not singular, not without bumps along the road? When you choose Pathwalking, yes you choose to be certain of your choice of path and the expected outcome…but you still are forced to accept that you may not reach the intended destination.
And even if you do get to where you aim to land, the path may not get you there in the manner expected of it. Even as you walk along the path with confidence, and a feeling of certainty, an unexpected branch may turn up, or you may be enticed to shift gears and take a whole other means to the end.
But this is all part of what we need for our lives. And this is a perfect example of how it works, and works well. Life is going to change. That is unavoidable. And with change, your certainty will turn to uncertainty.
Both are necessary. Life is an adventure, and while there are necessary moments of stability, equally necessary are those moments of variety and excitement. It keeps us on our toes, it keeps life interesting. It makes us grow, it makes us learn.
Pathwalking is choice. Knowing that consciousness creates reality, we are choosing a path for ourselves, and with that choosing certainty and accepting and even embracing uncertainty. It is that knowledge that helps us see all possible paths before us.
What knowledge are you secure in? What unexpected things have led to wonderful experiences?
This is the fifty-ninth entry in my series. These weekly posts are specifically about walking along the path of life, and my desire to make a difference in this world along the way. Thank you for joining me.
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