Society encourages us to use caution at the expense of curiosity. Our teachers, parents and mentors were not trying to do us harm with these instructions, this is what someone taught them. But these directives convinced us it is bad to make a mistake or to get lost wondering what to do next. Yet, this is a necessary aspect of the human condition. It is through facing adversity, failure and suffering that we grow.
Embracing the mysterious
Albert Einstein said;
“The most beautiful thing we can experience in life is the mysterious.”
The mysterious is not the occult nor the bizarre, it resides in those things that are unfamiliar. What makes them scary is that we cannot prepare for them ahead of time. Exploring the unknown is the greatest source of growth and excitement, but many of us strive to be safe and follow the worn-out habits and methods our mentors showed us. This is how we avoid the mysterious.
Embracing the unknown does not mean risking your life with something dangerous, it is simply learning to deal with something that makes you uncomfortable or stretch out of our comfort zone.
We made ships to leave the harbor
One of my favorite sayings was first stated by author John A. Shedd in his book Salt in the Attic. It goes like this,
“A ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”
My biggest fear is to become so accustomed to doing the same things in the same way out of fear and security that I will miss out on exploring the other wonders that life has to offer.
If you are getting bored with the certainty in your life, this is a sign that your soul wants to explore and grow. It is time to break free, leave port and sail the unknown waters.
Conclusion
Nothing is beyond your potential, everything in life is meant for you to enjoy, but we have been conditioned to avoid new things. You don’t have to live with this fear; you have what it takes to be the great explorer and swashbuckler in your life.
