Comfortable With Uncertainty - Pema Chodron Book Review

In times of crisis we ask ourselves, “What happens when I feel I can’t handle what is going on? What are the stories I tell myself? Where do I look for strength, and in what do I put my trust?” Pema Chodron from Comfortable With Uncertainty.

“Rest Your Mind” ©Amy Guion Clay 2020, Acrylic, toner, graphite on Yupo paper.

Need it be said, we are in an unparalleled time of uncertainty. There is a collective anxiety brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic that has engulfed our world. And the truth is, we don’t yet know how the future will play out.

So how do we navigate these stormy waters? Who will we have become when all of this is over? Will we squander this stillness? Do we wish this slowing down to be over so we can resume our hectic lives? Or do we stay open and curious about the new journey ahead?

The much loved copy of the book I am currently reading.

Some teachers and their books have been around for years, but they arrive to us as fresh insight in new challenging times. This is true of the great teacher, the Buddhist nun Pema Chodron, and her book Comfortable With Uncertainty.

The teachings here are simple, as most deep wisdom is known to be.

CURIOSITY and OPENNESS is the antidote to fear and anxiety.

This is true in life and travel and the creative process. It’s really all we need to know to stay steady at the wheel. Stay open and curious. Observe how life unfolds without projecting stories of what could be (worse case scenarios). Stay in the space and texture of the present moment.

We might know this, but why is it so hard to practice? How do we calm the nervous system when it is inflamed by the daily newsfeed?

This book offers 108 teachings on cultivating fearlessness and compassion. Each chapter is a brief, easily digestible treatise on our ability to go beyond the surface of fear and find our humanity in opening up to what is. Freedom, letting go, staying in trust. This is our challenge and our gift as evolving beings.

And as a general practice, I find that simple 10-15 minute meditations throughout the day - focusing on wellbeing and compassion - have created a calming ritual that soothes the soul.

Any of Pema Chodron’s books can bring comfort in this challenging time, I just happen to be reading the one mentioned. Her perhaps best known book, When Things Fall Apart, is another great read, with a similar message.

In the context of this blog, I am speaking about the creative process specifically. Our art making is just a reflection of how we live our lives. Which is why it’s so hard for most people to face themselves in the blank canvas, empty page, etc. If we can strengthen the muscles of openness and curiosity in our creative practice, it will serve all other aspects of our lives. We will know ourselves more intimately as we overcome the illusion of being in control and clinging to the familiar.

So we ask ourselves - are we willing to go into the unknown? Are we able to stay OPEN AND CURIOUS in the face of uncertainty? Can we be compassionate with ourselves and others when we are faced with the pain of our own insecurities and judgement of others?

And will we see this time as an opportunity to pause the world, our world, to reflect on the future we want to create, and to give ourselves the time to explore our interior creative language?

Pema Chodron addresses these question; the common humanity of our fears and longings. We are all warriors in training to a higher purpose and consciousness. Find comfort in her teachings as we navigate the new possibilities of this evolving world.