The Art of Uncertainty:
How to Live in the Mystery of Life and Love It
By
Dennis Merrit Jones
In our ongoing quest for self-improvement, we read books
on a plethora of topics we are certain we must master, from how to strengthen
our relationships and get our bodies in shape to how to find true happiness. Yet
we forget that in the face of all these challenges, only one thing is certain:
uncertainty. Until we can make peace with the uncertainty of life, we can not
truly move forward.
Dennis Merritt Jones,
author of
The Art of Being,
helps us take that step in
The Art of Uncertainty: How to Live in
the Mystery of Life and Love It (Tarcher /
Penguin).
Drawing upon his spiritual background and the teachings of various luminaries,
Jones shares 14 lessons and a conclusion to help readers embrace the unknown and
thrive amidst the confusion of life.
Each lesson concludes with both a summary
section of Points to Ponder & Personalize and a series of Mindfulness Practices
to help us appreciate the moment. Lessons include:
In our ongoing quest for
self-improvement, we read books on a plethora of topics we are certain we must
master, from how to strengthen our relationships and get our bodies in shape to
how to find true happiness. Yet we forget that in the face of all these
challenges, only one thing is certain: uncertainty. Until we can make peace with
the uncertainty of life, we can not truly move forward.
With
this book as a companion, readers will learn to view life's transitions as
places from which to grow, rather than causes for anxiety.
Q&A with Dennis Merritt Jones
What inspired you to write a
book on the topic on uncertainty? Was it difficult to pin down something that
is, by definition, so ambiguous?
I was inspired to write
The Art of Uncertainty because one of
the core elements of my teaching has always been that we were put here to grow
and express life in ever greater ways, and that can never happen if we are stuck
in the rut. We can't create anything new from within the field of what we
already know. The only way to honor the Life Force that surges through us is to
step into the mystery of the unknown where all possibilities exist, and allow
Its current to take us where It will, trusting that It knows better than we
where that is and how to get us there. This is not to say we don't play a major
role in what that may look like, because if we are fully engaged in the present
moment, we enter into the flow as a conscious co-creator with a universe
expanding at the speed of light. This is easier to do when we understand that
living in the mystery really is an art form of which we can all become masters.
It just requires a willingness to come to the edge.
In my mind, there is really nothing ambiguous about
uncertainty. Depending on one's perspective and attachment to the need to
control one's own destiny, the idea of living life in the mystery of uncertainty
will bring on distinct feelings of either sheer panic or unprecedented freedom.
Since we are always at choice, I choose to associate living in the mystery of
uncertainty with freedom; freedom to grow, freedom to express new ideas, freedom
to experience new possibilities, freedom to let go of what no longer serves me
in healthy ways, and freedom change my mind. I have lived much of my adult life
with the awareness that life truly is a mystery whether we like it or not, and
that most people simply pretend, wish, or hope that this is not the case--but it
is.
You ask readers to "Live in
the mystery of life and love it." That is easier said than done. Which mysteries
are lingering in your life and how have you bonded with them?
The better question is which mysteries are not lingering
in my life. This is exactly the point of the book: Every moment of every day is
a lingering mystery so why not learn to love it. There is no area of my life
that is not a total mystery every moment of every day: We construct this fantasy
in our heads that when we arise each morning the day ahead is a known factor and
it clearly is not. The mysteries lingering in my life are exactly the same
mysteries that linger in your life. The only difference is, while you may not
want to deal with them because it creates such anxiety and suffering, I have
learned to "be" in the mystery as it unfolds because I have learned that to
resist it only causes more suffering and angst. Do I know what is going to
happen tomorrow or, for that matter, five minutes from now? Do you? Of course
that is a rhetorical question because we all know the answer--we just don't want
to embrace it. I have bonded with the mystery of uncertainty in my life to the
best of my ability by embracing it, not resisting it, and being present with it
as it reveals itself in every sacred second. This is a very liberating way to
live if you are willing to come to the edge of "what is" and trust there is
something within you that knows how to deal with it.
You compare us to baby birds
who don't know they can fly until they are pushed from the nest.
Which life events become that "push" in our lives?
The metaphor of being pushed out of the nest, a.k.a our
comfort zone, is something most people can relate to because it happens on a
regular basis--we just tend to ignore it until it becomes less painful to change
than stay where we are. There is no area of our lives where we are not forced to
step to the edge of uncertainty at one point or another. This includes our
relationships, careers, physical health, finances, and so on. We need only look
to anyone who has been in a long term relationship or job which came to an
abrupt end. The same could be said about someone receiving an unfavorable
medical diagnosis. In that moment, they are pushed to the very edge of their
comfort zone and forced to deal with the uncertainty of what tomorrow may or may
not bring.
Still others will be forced to come to the edge of their
nest because they are called from within--there is an inner knowing there is
more to do...more to be, and the only way to discover what that is to come to
the edge of that which is yet to be and learn over. In the birds case it comes
down to fly or die. As they outgrow their comfortable nest they have no choice.
However, with us we do have a choice. Whether we are pushed to the edge of
uncertainty by inspiration or desperation, by pleasure or pain, the practice is
to remember that the same Intelligence that lives within the bird that knows how
to fly lives within us as well.
In what situations would the
tactics you recommend in the book be helpful?
Life itself is the laboratory to discover how to live in
the mystery of uncertainty. There is no area of our lives where, at some point,
a situation can or will arise that invites us to come closer to the edge on the
unknown and peek over. The "situations" are inherent in life itself. The tactics
offered in the book are all simple but not always easy to initiate and follow
through on. However, they are accessible and applicable to anyone who is
willing. Take a look at your own life and see where there is a need to grow,
change or create something new. Whatever the situation, the resolution will
always be the same; coming to the edge of what we don't know and trusting there
is something within us that does know, and then following its lead.
The Art of Uncertainty is a guide
book to assist those who are ready to see shift happen somewhere in their life
and are willing to come to the edge of that which is yet to be.
Your work is inspired by a
diverse assortment of inspiring spiritual luminaries. Which of them remain most
important to you and what have you learned from their work?
I have been greatly inspired by the ancients and well as
the contemporary thinkers. From Hermes, Moses, Buddha, and Jesus, to Emerson,
Thoreau, Ernest Holmes, Charles Fillmore, Mary Baker Eddy, Emma Curtis Hopkins,
Gary Zukav, Deepak Chopra, and so many others. While the messengers are all
quite uniquely different their message has that common thread of truth running
through it: Life is fundamentally a spiritual adventure and we were put here to
experience that adventure, not sit on the metaphoric side of the road (aka the
rut) and watch the parade of infinite possibilities that lie in the unknown pass
us by.
You write that when we
ignore universal Law, our ignorance has automatic consequences. (pg. 97) What
are those consequences? How can we be more aware, and avoid them?
We live in a universe that operates solely on an
impartial, nonjudgmental, Law of Cause and Effect. We are continually becoming
cause to our own effect by means of our deepest thoughts and beliefs. If, out of
ignorance of how the Law works, we misuse it, we suffer the consequences. In
other words we are not punished "for" our mistakes, but rather, "by them."
The book recommends patience
as a way to outlast uncertainty. What strategies can we use to cultivate
patience in times of confusion?
I offer this insight which is quoted from one the many
Mindfulness Practices in The Art of
Uncertainty: "Be mindful to notice whether you are at ease or if there is a
sense of stress attached to whatever you are doing in any given moment. Spend
time outside each day and simply observe nature. Witness the effortlessness in
which Life patiently unfolds right before your eyes. Look and listen for signs
in nature of forced effort and struggle; you will notice none. Then, align with
that Energy of ease and see how it can filter into your life experience each
day."
Dennis Merritt Jones has been
involved in the human potential movement and the field of spirituality as a
minister, teacher, spiritual mentor, and keynote lecturer for more than
twenty-six years. He was the founder and spiritual director of The Simi Valley
Center for Spiritual Living for twenty-three years in
From his website:
Dennis
was prompted to write the The Art of
Uncertainty - How to Live in the Mystery of Life and Love It
for two reasons. First were the obvious challenges so many people are facing
which brings them to the edge of "not knowing" what tomorrow holds. Second, he
believes many are ready to evolve in ways that require major life style choices
and changes but may not know how to initiate that process.
The
focus of the book offers practical, spiritual tools that will help anyone who is
brought to the edge of uncertainty to lean over with faith and confidence,
knowing there is something within them that knows how to transcend any fear
about the future.
There
is no area of our lives where we are not forced to step onto the pathway of
uncertainty at one point or another whether it be in our relationships, our
careers, our physical health or our finances. Why not enter the mystery
consciously and intentionally every day? From the day we were born--when we
entered the mystery of life--until the day we leave the planet, the only way to
grow is to step into the unknown time after time after time.
The
Art of Uncertainty
is about learning to use our time spent in this Earth School wisely. Regardless
of your level of education, the ultimate school of life itself is always in
session. As we make living in the mystery a daily practice, we prepare ourselves
for the adventure regardless of whether we are pushed onto the pathway of
uncertainty by inspiration or desperation, or by pleasure or pain. In either
case, we shall discover it is a journey we can learn to love. With its "Points
to Ponder" and "Mindfulness Practices" at the end of each chapter you can
consider The Art of Uncertainty
the perfect guidebook on how to step into the mystery of life and love it.