Living the Questions
Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 11:09AM This quote is discussed in the Not So Big Life (as well as Sarah’s Living the Questions podcast) and I have seen it a couple of other places as well, so I felt like I should share it here:
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answers.
~ Rainer Maria Rilke, Letter to a Young Poet
This ties into something that I have become more aware of over the past couple of years…how quickly I jump to try to answer the questions (or solve the problem) when sitting with something and letting the answer come to you is much more effective (and less anxiety-producing). When I sit with something and let the answer reveal itself, I am more comfortable with the result (and usually learn something more about myself in the process).
Our society values “do-ers” and quick thinkers and people who can put out fires. But always having to have the answer can be exhausting (as well as daunting).
I need to hear this message…to know that it is ok (even good) to not know the answer. Because where is the learning if you know everything? Not to mention, it kind of takes the urgency out of many things, which, if you are like me where everything in life starts looking like a fire to be put out, is a good thing.
Reader Comments (2)
Hmm, i tried to listen to the podcast, got interupted by my daughter wanting to chat, and while it was paused, AVG got a virus threat from the site. So I cant respond to the other info about the quote.
But the quote makes me think of 2 things. First of all, I used to sometimes complain to my ex about things I should have known before, or wish i'd been able to do before. My ex, who was a very wise man philisophically, if not practically, would explain that I simply had not been ready yet, and I needed to take the path I took when I took it. Remembering that helps me forgive myself for all the things I wish I was doing, but havent found a way to do yet (esp in my home schooling) .. . i remind myself that I'm not yet at the place where I can do that, but hopefully I'll get there.
The other thing - once I made a list of maybe 20 things I was unhappy about in my life, which I wanted to change. I promptly forgot about the list, but found it about 4 years later. All of the issues had been resolved or improved. I was flabbergasted! But I do think its sort of like being aware of where you want to get to, you'll get there eventually. For now its good to want or be aware, but no, you cant demand that you change overnight to who you want to be, just as you cant demand that of your loves ones.
i love this quote...