In order to overcome fear of uncertainty, we must first look at what is certain and then explore the nature of uncertainty. Once we see the truth of certainty and uncertainty, we can begin to let go of them and overcome fears around them.
First Look At What Is Certain In Life
Is there anything about which you can be 100% certain? You might use the old saying “the only certainty is death and taxes”, but is this actually true?
What if the government is overthrown for a completely free society and you are no longer taxed? Yes, that is very unlikely, but not completely impossible.
Uncertainty of Death
What about death? Of course that has to be certain, right? How about extremely likely.
However, perhaps not 100% certain given technologies that are emerging or on the horizon. There are many paths to solving disease and aging. Breakthroughs in biology, biotech, nanotech, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, quantum physics and more are making it clear that human may be able to solve disease prolong life well beyond current expectancy. If you make the cut for these advances, perhaps more is discovered and created to advance age even further.
Even more far out, but remotely possible, perhaps we figure out what consciousness is (since scientists don’t actually know), and we figure out how to transport it to other materials. Or we figure out the underlying fabric of the universe, how to manipulate matter perfectly, or reverse its decay. Use a little imagination and you can see that, while extremely unlikely, it may be possible to avoid death.
Uncertainty Of Life
What about certainty in your experience right now? Is the room that is usually next to the room you’re in 100% certainly still there? Again, extremely likely, but what if as you get up to check a meteor from space crashes through your home and destroys it.
Another way to look at this is by comparing your experience to dreaming. When you are in a dream, you usually don’t know it. In a given waking moment, you may be in a dream where everything you think is 100% certain falls apart.
Or imagine if your mind has been programmed to have all the memories you have, but they never actually happened in reality, and it has been programmed to think it’s not possible for this programming to have happened.
On more way to look at this is that humanity can’t be certain about what the universe and its contents is, including matter and consciousness. While we have theories, we don’t concretely know what matter is at is most reduced level, nor do we know what the fullness of the universe is, no do we know what consciousness is. If we can’t be certain about our own reality, how can we be 100% certain about anything at all?
Fortunately, there is a pretty good degree of relative certainty in our experience, but the above examples are to show extreme examples of how certainty isn’t necessarily 100%.
In reality, when you really look, certainty declines when the subject in question moves away from your direct experience in time and space.
What is Certain In Life?
So, let’s go back to the original question. Is there anything about which you can be 100% certain?
The answer is yes. One thing. That is that an experience exists right now, in this moment.
You can’t be 100% certain about what happened before this moment, and you can’t be 100% certain about what’s about to happen after this moment. You can’t be 100% certain about anything in your physical space that you aren’t experiencing right now. You might be able to be 99.99999999% certain, but you can’t be 100% certain. Look honestly for yourself and you will see.
But you can be certain about the experience of existence in this very moment.
So, now that you can see that just about everything is uncertain, how do you overcome fear of uncertainty?
Why do we fear uncertainty?
To overcome fear of uncertainty, we need to understand why we fear uncertainty.
Uncertainty is uncomfortable. It feels scary. To not know what is going to happen and when it’s going to happen is scary. Humans want to know.
We want to know because we want to feel secure and safe. We want to know we’ll have food on the table, shelter over head, love from our family and friends. This all feels good. We want to know that the sun will rise tomorrow. We want to be able to plan. We want to look forward things. We want to know that all will be ok.
Unfortunately, we can’t know any of this with certainty. But that’s ok.
How To Overcome Fear Of Uncertainty In Life
See that everything is actually uncertain, accept that it is uncertain, and orient yourself to the only certainty, which is your present moment awareness.
We have conditioned our own minds to assume certainty when there is just about none, and then we are shocked when something occurs that wasn’t according to our expectations and hopes. It’s time to let that mindset go.
You now see it. Let go of it. Uncertainty is nothing but thoughts that bother you, and you don’t actually need them. See that certainty is already within you. The certainty is your awareness. Become aware of your awareness. See that your awareness itself is perfectly still and at peace with all of the uncertainty and volatility around you. No other certainty is actually required.
Contemplate And Meditate About Your Fear Of Uncertainty
To do this actively, you can contemplate and meditate on what in your life is uncertain, or where you fear uncertainty. Feel the sensations of fear and uncertainty that accompany your thoughts about this subject of focus. Explore the subject and see that there was actually no way that it ever could have been certain.
Accept And Allow The Fear of Uncertainty
Accept the body sensations, accept the fear of uncertainty, and accept the uncertainty itself. Imagine the worst outcome possible around this uncertainty. See that if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. Your fear is not going to benefit the cause. Clarity and freedom of mind will enable you to operate in the best interest of what you fear is uncertain, if it’s even possible to act on it. Notice the awareness
As you shift to this perspective of experience, your uncertainty and fear of uncertainty will become a backdrop, or a projection on the screen. You’ll no longer have expectations that you are attached to. You’ll be free in the present moment. Nothing to worry about.
The clarity that comes with this realization and shift will make your actions much more efficient and enjoyable, and you’ll decrease and overcome uncertainty in many aspects of your life.
Conclusion
Explore certainty in contemplation and life. Explore it by being honest with yourself about what is actually 100% certain. Realize that nothing at all is 100% certain except that there is an experience in the present moment. This is synonymous with present moment awareness, so become more aware of your awareness so that your experience shifts from uncertainty to awareness. Explore the subjects of uncertainty, along with the unreality of all the associated thoughts and discomfort. Accept it all, and let it all go. Finally, realize that fortunately your present moment awareness is all you need to feel whole, secure, and certain, even when the world around you is not.