Understanding is vastly over-rated.  Sure, getting the hang of a checkbook, investments, how to cook better and use programs, for instance, is helpful.  But do we really need to figure everything out?  I don’t think so.

There is this drive in us sometimes that says “If I can understand this, I can conquer it.”  But understanding relationships, or someone else’s behavior, or even the chemistry of cooking, rarely allows me more power in the situation.  The season, the weather, that time of month, the ionic atmosphere–and mystery–just seem to make some kind of effect on family, friends and food.  And there are so many millions of elements that can slightly affect change.

Thus I have to relax and pull back from the fierce determinism that drives me to ask more questions (interrogate my boss, actually), find out the details of what my child did, or what my friend really meant, or why that recipe didn’t work out.  I just need to get balanced myself and offer my authentic self.

“Know thyself” is an age-old popular metaphysical rule.  But it doesn’t say “understand yourself.”  The gnostic meaning of “to know” is a mystical internal recognition of the Way; a deep sense of rootedness and balance.  It is not a measurement of all elements and a statistical prediction of the next step.

I think it comes down to faith.  Faith that I am in the right place and this “now” is most excellent.  If I stay with the Divine “here and now,” there truly is nothing to “figure out”.