“More important than the quest for certainty is the quest for clarity.”

-Francois Gautier

The Tiny Buddha blog is one of my favorite reads, reminding me on a daily basis about what is and isn't important to me.

This post on certainty being an illusion made me think of how often we choose career "certainty" over career clarity. We hold on to what we believe is the sure thing, only to find that it really wasn't and that we sacrificed what was important and meaningful to us for a certainty that crumbled. 

When we seek certainty in our careers, we are more like to hold onto the past and what used to work for us, making it less likely that we are able to see the many ways in which things have changed. We cling so tightly to what was, that we fail to see what could be. 

When we strive for career clarity, though, we pay attention to ourselves and what is important to us. We see situations for what they are and can seek the possibilities that will energize us and help us to grow. With clarity, we are better able to choose the actions that align with who we are and what we want. We learn to adapt to the road we are on, rather than wasting time wishing it was something else. 

We can either make what seems to be the best choice for minimal loss and change; or we can get clear about what we want to do with the short amount of time we have, and then embrace the unknown, with our passion as a compass, finding our way as we go.

The irony about choosing the path that seems the most certain is that it generally guarantees only one thing: that we go through life wondering how things could have been if only we weren’t so scared

Which will you strive for today? Certainty or clarity?