I’ve always lived my life trying to follow a set plan — a series of milestones and accomplishments all leading towards that one final dream. Following a plan has always been comforting to me, as it minimized any uncertainty about the future that I may face. The problem with plans however, is how seldom they work out. So, naturally, when things didn’t go according to plan, that’s when the worrying started. And worry I did. All the time. About everything.
I suppose I can’t blame myself entirely for this condition though. It is against human nature to embrace the unknown. Thousands of years ago, not knowing what that shadow in the distance was could have quite literally killed you. But now, in a our modern world, uncertainty doesn’t often take the form of a shadow in the distance. Rather, it is the thought that keeps you awake. The worry that plagues your daily routine. Or the stress that cripples your mind. Yes, uncertainty, and the unknown in general, have been my most constant of adversaries. My whole life has been a continuing fight to obtain some sort of certainty. A desperate struggle for just a second of control of the future. And it’s a desire of mine that I dislike.
But now, as I continue this journey in Cape Town, I find my mind changing. The places I’ve been and the people I’ve met continue to challenge everything I have ever believed. And what I now know is this: It’s the beauty in front of us we must focus on. A recent trip to Zambia and Botswana has helped me see that more than ever before. Whether you’re standing at the edge of Victoria Falls, staring down an elephant on the side of the road in Botswana, or even sitting in a hot and sweaty taxi that barely holds together, you’ve got to appreciate the moment. Because that is certain. And while travelling in Africa, and many other places on Earth, certainty is a luxury. And through my time here in Cape Town and around Southern Africa, I’ve grown to appreciate the moment more and more. And it’s intuitive really, when you really think about it. We spend so much time trying to explain and understand everything around us, that we often forget to just appreciate it. We neglect the very beauty that sits right before us.
Now even uncertain futures excite me. For I know that even in the darkest of times, there will always be something to appreciate. So maybe uncertainty has a purpose. The future is scary. The unknown, terrifying. But yet, uncertainty, and the unknown in general, carry with them a certain kind of excitement and beauty unlike any other feeling. And maybe, just maybe, if we could all appreciate the immense beauty of the unknown, we would find that inner peace we all desperately seek.
So whether it be the moment we’re in, or that distant future that softly calls, you’ve got to appreciate it. I know I do.