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Awareness and insight Presence and being present

Grow your creativity by embracing uncertainty and ambiguity

When we face up to our mind in meditation (and indeed in life in general) one of the longings and graspings that we often find there is for certainty and stability, and on the surface of it we may think that this is natural and inevitable. But hold on, what would happen if everything was certain in your life and totally stable? The answer is that your life would become totally dead and lifeless. In a landscape of certainty, with no chance elements there would be no opportunity for you to express your creativity and uniqueness at all.

The more that you reflect upon this the more you realize how misguided and limiting this grasping and craving for certainty is, and the more we find ourself start embracing the constant uncertainty, ambiguity and change that pervades our life on so many different levels.

Every time you are faced with an open, unpredictable situation, therein lies and opportunity for you to explore and express your own creative talents and abilities.

I believe the embracing of uncertainty to be one of the main characteristics not only of people who have good psychological health, but also those who are treading a genuine, developmental path to enlightenment and liberation.

So, the next time you see a gap in your appointment schedule, wonder where the next pay cheque is coming from, worry about what is happening in your romantic relationship and so on, be sure to embrace and appreciate the creative space that the situation is opening up in your life, your mind and your soul. Before you rush to solve the problem, enter for a while the texture, wonder and creative potential of that uncertain space.   

© Toby Ouvry 2010, you are welcome to use this article, but please seek Toby’s permission first.

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