Don’t Mistake Certainty for Clarity (A Blues Song)

In times of upheaval, certainty feels safe.
Clear. Decisive.
Unambiguous. And speedy.

Clarity, on the other hand, unfolds more slowly — and asks more of us.

• Certainty locks quickly.
• Clarity unfolds.
• Certainty narrows perception.
• Clarity widens it.
• Certainty says, “I know what this means.”
• Clarity says, “Let me see what’s actually here.”

Our nervous system often prefers certainty because it offers immediate relief. But that speed comes at a cost.
When we lock into certainty before the body has settled, we’re not seeing clearly — we’re bracing against...

Clarity requires space.
Space in the breath.
Space in the chest.
Space in awareness.

Clarity arises when the anxious sensations are allowed to settle down instead of being amplified by reactive thoughts and judgments.

This is why wisdom remains open to change.
When new information arrives, clarity gets curious. Certainty defends.

The ability to settle and say “I don’t know yet” isn’t confusion.
It’s discernment. It means we’re listening deeply enough so we don’t rush past what life is still revealing.

In a polarized culture, speedy certainty is rewarded. 
In a wired world, reaction travels faster than reflection.

Clarity doesn’t emerge from speed. It emerges from stillness.
And the stillness you and I cultivate within ourselves becomes the space available between us for deep listening, vulnerability, and true change.

Here’s another way to understand the importance of settling down  - blues style!