Confusion can be beneficial.
Most of us like to be sure of things. We know what to expect and how to react to it. Certainty helps us feel safe and in control.
Confusion can be stressful. Not knowing what’s coming or what to do about us can leave us on high alert. The resulting anxiety can sap our energy and endurance.
And this is because we feel the need to manage the situation, as much as possible. We want to move from start to finish quickly and decisively without making any mistakes.
While we know this isn’t likely, it doesn’t stop us from wanting it anyway or from beating ourselves up if we can’t achieve a fast once-and-done resolution.
In having a pre-determined idea of how we’d like to handle things, we limit our options. Our possibilities are circumscribed by what we can imagine. Creation is endlessly inventive and can dream up scenarios we’d never ever think of.
When we allow ourselves grace with the unknown or chaotic, we have the freedom to more neutrally explore. We don’t feel pushed to solve things immediately and are willing to sit in the upheaval and observe—both the situation and our own and others’ actions.
This more leisurely approach removes stress from the situation because we aren’t tied to the idea of an instant solution. It also enhances our chances of expanding our outlook and finding a more satisfying outcome.
Today’s message suggests that I up my willingness to sit with difficult or confusing things. In learning to allow life to be what it is, I also give myself permission to expand who I am.
Please reflect and share. How do you feel about confusion?