Anything can happen in Life

In the face of Life’s uncertainties, walk fearlessly

When things become unclear, uncertain, unpredictable, revel, rejoice, celebrate.

If you are the sort who likes to read a review and then go watch a movie, you may not enjoy Life much. The best part of Life is the uncertainty, the inscrutability! To have clarity of what’s going to happen next is so pedestrian, so boring. Imagine watching a movie whose storyline you already know and whose review you have read! Where’s the fun? Real enjoyment comes when the unexpected happens, when there’s a twist to the tale, when there is edge-of-the-seat action.

When you are dealing with uncertainty in Life, therefore, welcome it. “Anything can happen” is, after all, a good state to find yourself in!

But all of us love just the opposite. We like things to be planned, laid out, and we like all the information on what’s to happen to be available to us. We prefer the security predictability offers us to the insecurity that randomness presents. But when did Life tell you that it will be an easy customer to work with? No matter what you hope for, do or want, Life will keep reminding you that it is in control of you, and never the other way round, and that Life’s way is the only way!

Jalaluddin Rumi, the 13^th Century Persian poet, says this so beautifully: ““Forget safety. Live where you fear to live.” So, the best way to live Life is to celebrate this fuzziness, to hang from the edge of the precipice and to have the presence of mind to enjoy the breeze caress your cheeks as you hang in there. In the face of Life’s uncertainties, walk the line you have never walked before, walk with complete abandon, walk fearlessly, walk free. Only then can you claim that you have fully lived this lifetime!

It is only through catharsis that you evolve spiritually

The inscrutability of Life makes it magical, beautiful and worth living.

Yesterday, we attended a satsang, a communion, where a few people had gathered to share their Life stories and explore the possibility of learning from each other’s experiences.

There was a man, in his thirties, who had implants in his spine following an accident. Physically, medically, he was deemed to have perfectly healed – but practically, everyday living-wise he was immobilized. There was a brand and positioning expert who had launched several memorable brands in his 30 years in advertising, but was struggling with getting his never-before, never-again, disruptive product off the ground. There was a surgeon, who was an expert in his space for 20 years in UK and Australia, but who had hit a career low – no patients – ever since he shifted to India six months ago with the idea of serving the needy here. There was a brilliant vocalist and voice coach who trains thousands of people each year but had not quite been able to launch his own career as a musician. And then there was Vaani and me.

There was a common thread that connected all stories – none of the people in the group knew what to do about their situations. So, the sharing and the conversation that followed explored what faith and hope meant to each of us; it was a beautiful, uplifting and left all of us energized.

As I went to bed last night, I thought about the satsang – it offered me an important perspective on Life. If we knew all the answers to all the questions that confront us, if we have solutions to all the problems we are faced with, won’t Life cease to be challenging? Without a seeking, without the quest, how can there be any progress? Education empowers us with knowledge, but Life empowers us with experience. And experiences where you are clueless about how to deal with certain Life situations teach you humility and help you discover your inner strength, your resilience. It is only through catharsis that you grow up, that you evolve spiritually.

I have understood that you don’t have to have all the answers to live your Life well. You don’t even have to stop asking questions just because you don’t have the answers. Just learn to accept that when you don’t know what to do, when you don’t find the answer you are looking for, it doesn’t mean that your Life – the one that you desire for yourself – is eluding you. It only means that the Life you have is the one that you are meant to have. So, simply accept it as it is and live it well! Then, despite being unable to make sense of your Life, you will find it interesting enough to live!