Befriending the Unknown
"When was the last time you allowed yourself to rest in the unknown around you and to befriend it?"
These questions from author Lalah Delia pulled me into a reflective state.
The truth is, feeling safe is important to me.
And if I am honest, befriending the unknown has been a process.
A real process.
When I think about my relationship with the unknown, I realize that in some areas of my life I have not been walking alongside it. I have been running from it. Nowhere has that been more apparent than in intimate relationships.
Many of us have been programmed to react to the unknown rather than respond to it. We meet uncertainty with fear, urgency, overthinking, controlling, predicting, fixing. We convince ourselves that if we can just gather enough information, anticipate every outcome, or protect ourselves from disappointment, we will finally be safe.
But safety does not always come from certainty.
Sometimes safety comes from trusting ourselves in uncertainty.
That has been one of my lessons.
For me, befriending the unknown is not about pretending fear is not there. It is not about becoming reckless or throwing caution to the wind. It is about learning to stay present when answers have not yet arrived. It is about resisting the urge to run ahead of life.
It is the practice of surrender.
The practice of trust.
The practice of reminding myself that I am safe even when I do not know what comes next.
More and more, I am learning that everything I need is already within me. The wisdom. The discernment. The strength. The guidance. The ability to navigate whatever unfolds. When I remember this, the unknown becomes less of an enemy and more of a companion.
A teacher.
An invitation.
A space where growth quietly waits.
The process also requires me to pause before acting. To take a breath before making assumptions. To listen before reacting. To become curious instead of fearful.
What if the unknown is not something I need to conquer?
What if it is something I am being asked to trust?
What if uncertainty is not a sign that something is wrong, but evidence that life is still unfolding?
I am still learning.
Some days I surrender easily. Other days I find myself reaching for control. But I am noticing a shift. Instead of automatically running from the unknown, I am becoming more willing to sit beside it.
To listen.
To breathe.
To trust.
To remember that safety is not found in having all the answers.
Sometimes safety is found in knowing that whatever answer arrives, I will be able to meet it.
And perhaps that is what it means to befriend the unknown.
Not to have certainty about the path ahead, but to have confidence in the self that walks it.
Peace and Blessings
Reflection Question:
Where in your life are you reacting to the unknown, and what might change if you paused long enough to respond to it instead?