Why you should be thankful when you are confused
Confusion is a sign that you are being too intellectual; step back and tap into your intuitive self for absolute knowingness
Hello there friend,
Thanks for taking the time to be here. Most problems have in life is brought about by the nature of our minds to always know what’s going to happen.
We are unsettled if we are doing the right action, we worry if we are on the right path. We even question the meaning and purpose of our time here on earth.
Living in this confused state drains us of our energy and leaves us feeling powerless.
It doesn’t need to be this way. With a quick shift in perception, we can easily use confusion and find peace in uncertainty.
Not Knowing Everything Is A Great Place To Be, not knowing opens up a whole lot of possibilities and opportunities. Instead of being afraid not knowing, be excited to be surprised and bewildered by unexpected events and synchronicities that is presently unfolding.
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so. “ – Mark Twain
Certainly Uncertain
Lately I’ve just been flowing with what arises in the moment. Yes we can be certain of some things, schedule some activities but how the external world shall be affected by our efforts remains a variable. Either it will or it won’t, both conditions should have no effect on your peace.
Know that everything you do is in alignment of who you truly are. This can be done by dedicating mindfulness in every segment of your day. Exemplify the values that ring true to you. Watch your thoughts and do not think of them. You can just be a witness and an observer of what is. When it is needed to act, it’s going to be so effortless because we will act in alignment with being. We can flow with the bigger organism of Life; fully alert in being an active participant not separate from the whole.
The intellectual part of you, the egoic nature feels insecure and separate from everything, only a very small part of this is true. You are not by yourself against the world but you are of it and as it. You write here on Substack as an example of an expressive medium that is a crucial thread in the tapestry of all artists. You serve food in the restaurant as a nourishment agent of the planet.
In thinking of the bigger picture and knowing that all is interwoven. We can relax and be ok with not knowing the nitty gritty of everything that passes through the mind.
Let thoughts pass, give it an allowance before you even entertain and wrap energy around it. Increase the space between stimulus and response as it has been said many times.
I don't mind If I fail or succeed. I don't mind if I have money or not money, personally I have no money, thank god. I don't want money, but I need food and clothes and shelter, and if somebody gives me it's all right. If somebody doesn't, I live where I am. I have no problem because I don't demand anything from anybody, or from life. -
J. Krishnamurti
Smell the flowers; they are only here for now 🌸
"The only thing that is certain is uncertainty." - John Allen Paulos
Strong beliefs; loosely held
Let your conviction be strong and sturdy with all the data that you have gathered. Having facts and information gives us confidence in certain things but know that you cannot have all the data. Stay open to others and new information; nothing is set in stone. Cultivate a light grasp rather than a tight grip.
Surrender to what life has to offer you. It may require you to be braver than you are but we will suffer more in the long term if we avoid responsibility.
An art sidewalk installation on the sidewalks of Brooklyn (mixed media (flour, water, marinara, cheese, basil, cardboard))
"In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity." - Sun Tzu
Embracing Your Calling
Michelangelo, a sculptor by trade, initially hesitated to paint the Sistine Chapel. He felt it was a setup to embarrass him. However, he eventually accepted the challenge and poured his heart into the project. His dedication resulted in the Sistine Chapel standing as one of his greatest accomplishments.
This story teaches us a valuable lesson: avoiding our true calling comes at a cost, not just to ourselves but to those around us. Imagine if Michelangelo had turned his back on the opportunity—the world would have missed out on a masterpiece.
When we ignore our potential contributions, there's a disconnect between who we are and who we could be.
Michelangelo's journey reminds us that our greatest achievements often lie beyond our comfort zones and self-doubt.
By identifying and pursuing what truly matters to us, we can bridge the gap between our current selves and the individuals we have the potential to become. This journey requires the courage to create our own masterpieces.
These beauties are still wet from last nights rain. ☔️
"Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security." - John Allen Paulos
Live in equanimity honoring both sides
The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. This quote is by Scott Fitzgerald. However it is also considered as cognitive dissonance or ambivalence.
In my personal experience, I have learned to accept that both are true, also a title of my fave stack. It is what we think it is and the power of choice if it shall be life affirming and nourishing is up to each and every one of us and lies in each and every moment you breathe and think.
We can honor things that may appear unfortunate or unpleasant as things undergoing the process needed for them to be more complete. It is not for to us to intervene and fix for it will rob them of the sacred process of self actualization.
Stay in equanimity that all is evolving in their own time and place; even ourselves. Equal mindedness, open heartedness and a constant alert attention to what is in the now.
"In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity." - Sun Tzu
Stand unshaken in a crash of breaking worlds
In moments of confusion; take a deep breath and tune into your inner knowing by surrendering what cannot be known by the mind at this point in time. All answers are revealed at the right place at the right time.all we need to know is the next best stepand often times it is just to do nothing.
In doing nothing all is done. We can acknowledge the completeness of each breath, we can acknowledge our past successes, we can design an ideal future and the steps to get there, and this can all be done just by sitting in a quiet place where you are undisturbed by external demands.
When things get chaotic and shuffled, it is an opportunity for new things to arise. A change in circumstance may require a new version of yourself that needs to rise up to the occasion. Sometimes we resist growth until we have no choice, chaos is an opportunity to discover parts of ourselves that is courageous enough to offer up what is needed to impose order even though it is impossible.
So when you are overwhelmed, take a deep breath and be thankful because it is an alarm clock for the hero inside you to wake up.
Vegan Ice cream from Van Leeuwen called planet earth. 🌍
"Life is inherently uncertain. But one thing is for sure - you have the power to choose how you respond to it."
Compassionate response
See through the eyes of compassion. Imagine your heart has an eye and you see through that carrying eye. The one who understands the human condition. The one who knows that everybody is trying their best. The one who knows that everything is just born and living through love.
The one who offers up a kind response that supports and nourishes the whole instead of the separate self. We can be that, the one who understands instead of being understood.
Yield to the higher order of things, subjugate your likes and dislikes for the greater good. We know this but it is so easy to neglect and serve the petty demands of the small self.
If we choose to serve the highest good, it may take a little sacrifice but we win in the long term. As we give so shall we receive. It is how we touch lives with how we pay attention or offer our presence that we make this world a better place.
Moment to moment, carry your half smile, straight spine and a deep sense of listening. Filter your thought, speech and actions on demand and in realtime.
Puttanesca rice; olives, capers and tomato paste boil in a pot with rice. Hearty comforting and so easy to make. Highly customizable too! ❤️
Recipe will be here
"Uncertainty is the very condition to impel man to unfold his powers." - Erich Fromm
You did everything you need to do to prepare you for this. You contain everything you need to know to make this moment the right one. You need not deliberate on anything. You have arrived. Destination here, and may you feel perfectly uncertain yet powerful.
Let’s take a walk and start where we are ❤️
Ah yes, the overwhelm is our alarm clock calling us to wake up. Great essay Paolo and I love the sidewalk art installation!
Paolo, just a note to say how much I've loved all of your work lately and if you are not careful I will steal that jean jacket (though for some reason couldn't comment in that post). But man, it is cool. Send us the source of those patches!