Uncertainty and Belief

"The future is not set, there is no fate but what we make for ourselves."

Confidence will get you killed;
Arrogance will get you beat;
Idealism will blind you to the world;
Cynicism will keep you on an island.

     What cuts the middle for me is belief. Belief in my friends; Belief in my colleagues; Belief - above all - in myself. My life has twisted and turned in many incalculable, uncertain directions. Not bad for a kid who had bracketed himself for the better part of 20 years.

     In that time I made many mistakes, but experienced many wins. And even in the face of great misfortune, I feel that I've rebounded stronger every time. In a way, that has made me embrace uncertainty. I think that for the most part people fear uncertainty. To them it is risky, unpleasant, even dangerous.

     I have learned to take uncertainty head-on. Not by brute force mind you - that would be deadly - but rather by calculated moves accepting of all outcomes. If one sees an undesirable outcome and seeks only to avoid it, he or she will be drawn into it like a black hole. If one only focuses on a pre-determined "perfect" outcome, one risks consumption of mind body and soul. I find that accepting all outcomes - good and bad; known and unknown - allows one to avoid all traps. In a way, it provides guard rails to keep one's capability to discern the best possible outcome at any given moment.

     As I see it, the path to doing this is belief; and especially the belief that one will continue on successfully regardless of the decided outcome of any given moment. I think the following key elements allow one to do this:

1. Always keep your head on a swivel. Outcomes don't sit on a linear road waiting for you to trip over them. they exist in a broad ocean, ready to be discovered. Uncertainty will always exist in this state, but it cannot be allowed to stop you, as opportunity may be lying just beneath the surface.
2. Never fear failure. If one believes that failure is a key foundation of success, failure will never be fatal.

     I have seen many amazing things in my life; fought many battles; faced much uncertainty. Here I am. Still strong, still healthy, still with a thirst for adventure. As such, a new wave of uncertainty seems to be building on my horizon,  and with it - hopefully - comes opportunity. Do good things lie ahead?

I believe so...