Tension is everywhere. Sometimes it’s something we don’t know but want to know. Sometimes it is something we asked for and are not sure to get. Sometimes it is something that is happening around us that makes us feel uncomfortable.

Then there are also the tensions we find ourselves engaged in when we listen to music, watch a film, or listen to a story.

All of them exist outside of our comfort zone.

While there is a sense of discomfort, it doesn’t mean that this sense is never welcome.

The difference is in the way we engage in it. The difference lies in the chosen focus.

When we listen to music, listen to a story, or watch a film the attention will be on what is happening. It is ok to let the outcome happen as a surprise.

When something is at stake, this is much harder, and the focus easily becomes the desired outcome. The journey falls out of focus. The sense of risk is heightened. Reaching the outcome now becomes the factor deciding about success or failure.

However, the only thing that happened when the tension disappeared, is that the source of discomfort disappeared.

There is a fraction of a second in which we realize that the tension disappeared. It is the moment before the new situation becomes accessible.

In this, the outcome is separate from the journey. It allows us to evaluate the outcome when it appears, and to reevaluate it any time new details allow us to change our perception of what seems to have been the outcome.