Familiar or unknown .......

I have just replied to another very interesting question by Emanate Presence. So to answer yet another appealing one here, I thought of composing a hub as a reply. Thank you for the idea at the very outset. Anyway this is my first attempt to make a hub out of replying to a question here. To be honest, I am a little apprehensive. This attempt is to reply as per the question which follows....!

Would you rather 'reside' in the familiar or explore the unknown?

Everything related to my family will be a personal choice to stay with what I am familiar.But as to myself, it will be always be to explore the unknown. I would always prefer all the familiar comforts and provisions that can be provided for my family.In any case, I do not wish for any imbalanced unfamiliarity, to be experienced by my family regarding the pure materialistic choices or opportunities. The facilities may be simple enough, but are now so habitually used,that I feel that they should always be there, so as to encourage us to feel at home.

Any negative change is definitely not welcome here. Only improvements and modifications are much sought after in this category. For instance, any new addition to lifestyle, and home appliances is most welcome. That will also be unknown at the beginning, but will add more toward facilities with time. Still, a shifting to a new place or re-location, is not exactly my own choice. The unknown aspect to be faced by my son, is not what I would wish. The comfort and the stability in the daily routines and systems around the home is most needed, to feel at home within a ‘house’ for me.

But in a more intellectual aspect, I would rather opt for slowly teaching my son to step in unknown territory as life is always full with “Unknown” mysteries. The unfamiliar aspect of life should be taught to a child in the early stage of life, to get a sense of feel and experience. It is important to get to know the way to be settled, possibly in every kind of situation, and it’s also a very necessary part of bringing up a child mainly in the current world environment. So the unknown aspect, whenever possible, should be introduced to the younger child at an early stage. This, I feel, encourages a sense of ‘feel’ from the experience.

On a personal front, I recall that I had to shift my son to a different school in class III. He was at first very nervous and upset with the decision. He was sad as he had to leave behind his friends and the teachers of the old co-ed school. The new school is an all boys school, with only class XI level girls being there.Nevertheless, he was also very angry with me and my hubby. However, within a short time, he quickly adjusted to the environment of the new school. Now he is full of praise that we shifted him to a better school. There he has met with such a fine group of friends and teachers with lots of other extracurricular facilities.

Thus he seems to be more confident than his other friends, whom I have noticed were settled in the same school from the beginning. In the process he also learnt to make a better and fresh relationship with his new teachers. This was the first stepping stone to a totally unknown zone that we very precisely and intentionally taught our son. Slowly and steadily, it is required to introduce the little known facts to young children, so as to get them accustomed to the world around. Life and the world today is very dynamic, but also full of the unknown.

I will personally prefer to reside in “unknown” concerning any decision which is only concerned with myself. Be it career, be it my own hobbies, and be it anything that excludes anything other than me. “Unknown” is always exciting. I never prefer to sit in the comfort zone of familiarity. Personally will be always interested to experience the other side of the unknown to call it known, be there and done with. Then my next question will be what next.

Familiarity feels to be comfortable and very reassuring to be in. It’s always a preferred choice for the ones who don’t like to explore the intentional mysteries of life. The familiarity of the place where one resides, the home, the food, the family, the friends, the occupation and everything around the life is what one grows automatically very fond of. It takes pure courage to step out of the warmth of this familiar cocoon.

The ‘Unknown’ is uncertain. It can be good or it can be bad too. It can be warmer but then it can be chilling also. But there is a pure thrill attached with it. If one takes the plunge in life once and steps in the ‘Unknown’ and achieves something better without even any aspiration then the person becomes very confident in life. The experience itself becomes a taste to live for again and step again in the unknown territory of life. Unknown is sometimes intentional but life to be specific is full of unintentional unknowns all around. The courage, motivation, ambition, attitude, faith, trust, believe etc all counts a lot to step intentionally in the ‘unknown’ opportunities that life offers. But when life and world unfolds the ‘unknown’ aspect then nobody even gets the chance to choose from but just have to face it without any given option..

The benefits of familiarity is the feelings of contentedness. The shortcoming is the laid back attitude one may tend to develop.

The benefit of unknown in the confidence and winning attribute one may acquire after stepping in it and experience it. The shortcoming may be the over confidence which will ruin the advantage in due course of time may be.

Individually speaking I have a lot of experience of stepping in the ‘unknown’ territory in life and always enjoyed it very much. I will prefer to step in the ‘unknown’ again given an opportunity in any point of time as for me life is all full of unknowns. So I prefer to enjoy and cherish whatever life has to offer me and never scared of the unknown truth. Rather I am kind of person that will love to greet the ‘unknown’ with a broad smile on my face. It’s the very beauty of life actually.

We plan in life and we think what it may happen tomorrow. But funnily enough do we know the very next moment of ‘NOW’ what lies ahead? So it’s all full and filled with ‘unknown’ surprises. Familiarity I will seek in the warmth, compassion, love and care of my dearest ones. If I know that I have them with me in any given point of time then this wonderful ‘familiarity’ is just enough for me to step in any kind of ‘unknown’ in life till the end.

Thank you and I truly enjoyed replying to this question of yours..... @ Emanate Presence.