Someone close to me was up for a big job but did not get it because the person she was interviewing with was uncertain that my friend was the right cultural fit for their organisation. While my friend had all the qualifications they were looking for, and was told she came the closest out of all candidates interviewed, the other firm decided to hold onto their uncertainty and not take a leap of faith. As I counseled her, it got me thinking about the role of uncertainty and faith and promoted this post.
Uncertainty. It is, of course, human nature, to be uncertain. We are uncertain about small things; what toothpaste shall I purchase? Is this really the right laundry detergent for me? Do these jeans make my butt look big? We are uncertain about big things; is this the right car for me? Should we move in together? Do I wan tto spend the rest of my life with him/her? Shall we name our first child Harold?
Uncertainty. Sometimes it plagues us. It keeps us up at night. Sometimes it even clouds our judgment when we are torn between what the heart wants and what the mind says. Maybe Freud was right after all with all that mumbo jumbo talk about the Ego, Superego, and Id.
Uncertainty. The ironic thing is that we are often uncertain about how we deal with uncertainty. Should I talk to a therapist? Should I talk with my mom? Maybe dad will have some advice. Maybe I will talk to Father Harry, oh, wait, I am not Catholic – he certainly won’t want to talk to me….or will he?
Naturally, the opposite of uncertainty is faith. It takes more strength to have faith than it does to be uncertain. Then again, David was weaker than Goliath but he had faith and beat the giant. There I go, now I am uncertain about the nature of faith. It’s a shame; I thought I had something going there for a minute.
Faith. Once I was led blindfolded into a room as part of an initiation ritual to a club. I was led up a flight of stairs and then, suddenly, was pushed off the top. It was scary, but my friends were there to catch me. Trust is one of the components of faith. Sometimes, to grow, you have to jump blindly and trust that someone will be there to catch you.
Faith. A George Michael song with really pretty supermodels in the video. That scene with Cindy Crawford still gives me goosebumps. When the words ‘no more’ are added after the word faith you have a one hit wonder 90s metal band. Perhaps that is not a good example of faith. However, when the word ‘Blind’ precedes the word faith, you have a tremendous super group with Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood. Can you find your way home?
Faith. Sometimes it is hard to have faith when you have been burned in the past. That happened to me once. I once dated a girl who I found out was cheating on me. It took me a while to trust women after that but it was something I eventually overcame when I felt I met the right person. Look at me now, I am a married man and I don’t worry where my wife has been when she says she was at the gym for 3 hours….or do I?
