Embracing Uncertainty

(reposting note from Facebook)



Life is always filled with uncertainties. There's seem to be no day where life is certain. Just when you thought, you had all figured it out, you got a job, you have a house and the next moment, you met with an accident. Well, it's an example.

Death is definitely certain, agreed?

The thing with embracing uncertainty is that it doesn't mean that you are failing to plan. Hence, you embrace uncertainty. It just mean that you have accepted things unfolding. In the case from the example that I have given, you have to accept that an accident has taken place. It's possible that you could have prevented it, maybe by maintaining your car brakes, ensure your shoelaces are always tied? but at times, despite all the necessary things you could have taken to prevent it, some things just have to unfold the way it was meant to be. In Islam, we called it Qadha and Qadar.


So, how do we embrace uncertainty anyway?


1. Create a 'Wondering Life' instead of a 'Hoping Life'

'I hope, they will call soon about my job.' ---> 'I wonder, if they will call about my job.'
'I hope, he'll marry me.'--> 'I wonder, if he'll marry me.'

Wondering neutralizes both hoping and pessimism. It allows us to embrace what life brings us. Do not wish for it to happen or not happen but let it unfold.


2. Unattached oneself

Non-attachment allows us to look at all possibilities for the future with a relaxed consciousness. It is with attachment that at times, it brings suffering and unhappiness. Once we drop the attachment, the suffering falls away. InsyaAllah, we can be happier.

Another example of attachment:
Attachment: I hope, he'll call. Please call me. If not, I will be sad.
Non-Attachment: This man is not my life. I am aware that I have the power to create a great life whether he calls or not. Everything will be ok.

There are ways to live our life rather than in a state of expectation. Hence, when we cut the expectations, we are free. But off course, some expectations are necessary. If you get what I mean. Fill your mind with nourishing thoughts.💓


3. Restrain oneself from worries

As Frozen - Let it go, would say, "Let it go. Let it go." Lol. Let go of the outcome. Surrender to the fact that we are unable to control anything when it comes to the future. And whatever happens, always remember that "...Allah is the best of all planners." (Surah Al-Anfal: 30). Of course, saying is easy but if we able to embrace the good and the bad of whatever life has given us, we have definitely come a long way to embrace uncertainty.


4. Find meaning in the pain/suffering

This seems the hardest as compared to the rest. When bad times befall on us, we will go through pain. And at times, we grief or we mourn and it is actually okay. But do not allow yourself to be in pain for too long. When a catastrophe happens, console ourselves by saying:

I'll handle it. I'll learn from it. I'll grow from it. I'll find a way to make it enrich my life.

or we can also reflect from the story of Nabi Musa and Nabi Khidir's learning journey.

When we focus on the learning of the things in our lives, we enlarge the magnitude of the blessings and can create an enhanced sense of joy. At the same time, we could understand that there's a wisdom behind everything that happen to us, be it the good or the bad.


5. Embrace the 'hearse' of death

Jean De La Fontaine said, "Death never takes the wise man by surprise. He is always ready to go."

Embracing the hearse means 'ready to go'. All my bags are packed. I'm ready to go. We can pretend that we are always leaving on a jet plane. Hence, we are able to NOT put things off to a later time. We could live life, as it is. Speak kind words and not be mean. Always fixing relationships. The way we live our life, will definitely be different. We will be constantly living our life at our ever best and that we will aim or pray that Allah takes our soul in the state of good.