The illusion of certainty.

Is there anything which is certain?

You may say yes.

You may say that since I have a job, it is certain that I will get my salary at the end of the month. We call this job-security (a word I dislike intensely).

You may say that since I am married or I have a girlfriend/boyfriend, I would have companionship when I need it.

Though, as we know, many people lost their jobs during the covid season and many couples break up or get divorced at a fairly consistent rate, leading to a situation when they don’t have a salary or companion when they need them the most.

Why do these things happen? Why is this certainty, this comfort zone, suddenly taken away from us?

Mostly, it’s because how we act when we get it. We become complacent. We stop improving. We stop putting in the effort. We start taking ourselves, our work and our partners for granted.

Until this illusory, temporary certainty is taken away from us.

There is a better certainty that is at offer.

It is the certainty of the practice. The certainty of being a professional, at work, in relationships, and in life; whether we have a job or not, whether we are in a relationship or not.

You don’t need much to be a professional. For instance, Nelson Mandela was a thorough professional in his years in prison. He was not waiting, he was preparing. Preparing to lead the country, to help his country get independence.

Once we create certainty through our practice, through our professionalism, that is a certainty that we can rely upon. That is a certainty that no one else can take away from us.

And, not ironically, that is when all external opportunities and relationships start showing up.