What can I know for sure? CAN I know anything for sure? How certain can I be about anything?
I wonder… and I have doubts…
The universe (universes?) in which I live is a complex place full of wonders, some of which may be beyond my comprehension. I don’t like that the place I call home may be beyond my comprehension and thus my control. I prefer being in control – except maybe for a short while when I give my consent, like when I ride a roller coaster.
It appears to me that I’m making choices, experiencing the direct consequences of those choices, and etc. I like to think I understand what’s going on around me. I like to think I am capable of setting and achieving goals. I like to think I’m making informed choices with knowable and predictable outcomes, etc. I like to think I’m in charge of my life.
That’s what I like to think… …until reality sets in… …and then…
The more I understand about the universe, the less I feel in charge of it – and the necessity to take charge of it. Maybe my world is far too complex for me to consciously understand. I’ve consigned myself to this possibility.
It’s okay.
I can LIVE in my universe without having to consciously understand it all. Perhaps one of the most fundamental aspects of living is noticing or acknowledging that you’re doing it. That’s what I consider gratitude –
“…a feeling or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive.” (Wikipedia – Gratitude)
The “benefit” of life is LIFE!
Life is its own reward/benefit. Beyond positive and negative, right and wrong, good and bad, and whatever other value judgment I may place upon my life experiences, life IS its own reward for living it.
Gratitude is the answer
I now like to think that gratitude in the form of acknowledgment is the only appropriate response to the universe. My subconscious mind does this automatically. It’s my conscious mind that might want to awaken to that acknowledgment. It’s amazing to me how little I need to know about the universe in order for me to receive benefit from living in it.
Consciously acknowledging that benefit tends to make me happier and more satisfied with my life – more so than a sense of control might bring me.
