One of the most profound aspirations, basic to all human beings, is our strive for security – financial security, security for our safety, life and health, the health of our relatives, for our public image and status, job security, security in our relationship, etc. etc. We all dream of stability, something that will give us a guarantee that everything will be fine. This strive often makes us cling to work, people or material things that give us a sense of security.
But the truth is that all these external things only bring us a false sense of security. No matter how much money we have, tomorrow we can go bankrupt; no matter how much we care for our
life and health, we are not insured for illnesses or accidents, no matter how well we built our house, it does not mean it cannot be broken into; our partner may be lovable and committed, but it might not always be so, our friends may be loyal, but one day they may turn against us; no matter how safe and profitable our job may be, tomorrow it may stop bringing us profit.
rnNothing insures us.The only sure thing in this world is that nothing is sure. Looking for security is an illusion.So where is the solution? Deepak Chopra gives us the answer: 'Ancient wise-men saw the solution to the whole security dilemma in The wisdom of insecurity'
What does the Wisdom of insecurity consist of? Insecurity often brings fear – fear of the unknown, fear of change or pain, fear of what might happen, fear of failure. Actually insecurity is the other name for creation. Insecurity means change and development and it also brings countless opportunities. The search for security binds us to what we know and to what is in our past. 'But what we know is nothing more than a prison for our old concepts. There is no evolution in that, absolutely none.' Evolution is possible thanks to unexpected events, change and the unknown – namely uncertainty.
What we should do is quit looking for certainty, stop clinging to things and accept uncertainty as the Wisdom of the Higher Power and the secret order in the
Universe. At a deeper lever everything is fine, and uncertainty is like the waves in the ocean that cannot break the serenity at the bottom. What I am trying to say is that uncertainty is actually a part of the Universal plan for evolution.
The paradox is that if we give ourselves to uncertainty and embrace it, this is when we feel most secure.How to change out mindset so that we can become friends with uncertainty and see certainty in it?
rnHere are some of the steps:
Quit looking for certainty. You should know that certainty does not lie in what we possess, but in how we deal with it. No one can tell what tomorrow brings, no one knows how long a relationship will last or how long you will have your job. And it is not necessary to know it. It is change, surprise, ups and downs that make life an adventure. Enjoy the moment and do not think about how long it will last. Tomorrow will not be the same as today, because there is nothing eternal and everything changes. But each moment has its beauty and it is a wonderful thing that moments change. We do not have to cling to what is happening today, to what we know.rnIt is like trying to stop a spring from flowing. It flows constantly, but it does not mean we cannot enjoy it. And we do not have to stop it in order to feel secure. It would be more reasonable to let it flow and enjoy every moment – every fall, every turn or swirl that leads us to a new place. Because movement is life.
Change is soaked with un-change.Remember that at a deeper level, everything is always fine. The chaos around us is simply unreal. The mess is actually a part of the Universal Order. Life is an everlasting dance and each event is a part of this dance and has meaning. Everything that happens to us, even if we often think of it as catastrophic, is a matter of course. When we resist change and cling to what we know, we resist the natural course of life. Embrace insecurity: 'I accept the unknown unquestioningly, for it allows me to discover more and more new aspects of myself.' Deepak Chopra
Give up your previous concepts and expectations. We often make a plan and expect things to develop in a certain way. But this usually brings us disappointment. Furthermore, getting stuck in a certain point of view prevents us from seeing the whole range of possibilities ... which could prove to be much more valuable than our original plan. Our expectations are actually limiting us. We can be flexible and creative only when we forget about them. Then our senses will be open to the new and the different.
Free yourself from clinging to certain things. The belief that someone or something outside ourselves can bring us happiness and security, puts us in a precarious position. So we voluntarily give up our power and thus become vulnerable and dependent on the outside world. To get rid of clinging, Sandra Anne Taylor offers the following exercise: Observe the different objects you are attached to. Take a deep breath and say:'I like this, but I do not need it to be happy.'
At first this may seem scary, but it is actually very liberating. You can even give away an item that is especially valuable to you in order to feel that security does not lie in possessing something.
Accept the fact that living a fullfilled life means that pain, suffering and loss will be inevitable parts of it.
"Love a living thing – a human, an animal, a plant – and it could die.
Believe in someone and this could hurt you, depend on someone and they can let you down ... Go to a higher dimension and you will be rewarded with pain and happiness. A fullfilled life is full of pain. The alternative is not to live truly or not to live at all." Morgan Scott Peck
Make small changes in your every day life. Take small risks. For example, use a new road when you go to work, go to places that you never visit - a museum, a gallery, etc. Meet people who have different views on life, get to know different theories, religions, philosophies, change some of your
habits, change your appearance or even the furnishing of a room in your house.
Cross the threshold of the unknown and enter some new territories. You will find out that these small changes actually bring life, development, expand your mind, make you more flexible and turn your life into an adventure. Enjoy the change, the unknown, the surprises ... the uncertainty.