One of things Socrates was famous for was being pronounced the wisest man in all of Greece.
He, on the other hand, declared that IF he was indeed wise, it was only because he knew how little he actually knew.
They are still interesting times that we live in – it’s almost become a cliche to say, and yet there’s a lot of truth in that. Interesting because of what we took for granted in terms of a guaranteed future, a knowable future, has been thrown in the air … and it hasn’t even landed yet.
The last few days for me in particular have also served to show me this truth:
I truly know so little for certain.
And yet — I share my existence with a mind that is hell-bent on attempting to know through guessing and supposing and worrying. This mental gymnastic guess-work just creates mayhem and suffering when I listen to it, and feed it.
What do I know for certain?
What does anyone know for certain?
Well – what is here. What this present moment contains. The things you can touch and feel and see and smell. There’s a huge degree of certainty in the present moment. We can know this ... right? Better still, we can do something about it. We can act upon it.
We can know who we are, in the core of our being. Our existence and presence. This is the height of certainty. This is total. You know you are. If you closely pay attention, it’s the only unchanging thing about you.
The past and the future? Some other place or person removed from us in space? We can’t even touch those, let alone weigh them for truth.
It’s easy to fly off the handle, I know this -
We can get so wrapped up in the what-ifs, the drama, the uncertainty, the plans and dreams burning and being lost in our imaginations.
But does this really help, at all?
If you’re like me, you know the suffering caused by thinking and attempting to guess. You’ll also know the results of making long term decisions based on short term emotions. Never the wisest.
Why suffer twice? As Seneca once said, “A man who suffers before it is necessary, suffers more than is necessary.”
It’s not necessary to suffer, at all. I know that.
It’s easy to feel lost without a concrete idea of what will happen. But do we ever have that? Truly? Sure we can make plans in good faith, but our interesting times have shown how little we can be 100% assured of any kind of future.
There’s hope, of course.
I’m incredibly optimistic. But only because when I look back at my life, I somehow arrived here in great shape. My past has brought me here, and I feel like I am a better person because of it.
Life has constantly happened for me; and that gives me hope that it will continue to do so.
It’s never happened how I’ve expected it … but it has happened exactly as I needed it.
All of it, all of my life, has been a wake up call; a call to return to the certainty of now and the certainty of my being. To make plans, to pursue lofty dreams, but to let go of how they might unfold.
Also to be kind. To be loving. And helpful and encouraging and understanding. And steady in the face of all doubt and fear.
I don’t know; but I know this – and I think that might be enough.
Hope you’re well out there, big love to you all.
As always, go well.
Arjuna