not knowing

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“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.”

Shunryū Suzuki

I used to want to know everything.

Maybe it was because of the heavy focus placed on intelligence growing up, but I thought that if I knew everything, I could never be surprised. If I always had the answer, I’d never be wrong. If I was always certain about everything, I’d never be uncertain about anything.

What a faulty way of thinking!

Yes, uncertainty can make us feel unstable, but it’s important to recognize that uncertainty keeps us moving forward – you can’t know what isn’t yet known.

How boring life would be if you already knew everything!

Even before we understood the severity of the double-deuce drop that was 2020, I had decided to make that the year I got comfortable with discomfort. I think 2021 will be the year I get comfortable with not knowing. I know it will take practice, and I wouldn’t say I’m always comfortable with discomfort, but I am more aware of how I’m feeling in those discomforting moments, and I’m becoming more and more aware of how I react to not knowing something.

By being comfortable with not knowing we are able to open ourselves up to all possibilities. The person who is only comfortable with a Reuben sandwich will never know the delicious delights of a Cuban.

Today, Five Minutes in the Morning encourages us to list ten things we don’t know or don’t understand – from black holes to doughnut holes.

Then, pick one thing from your list and make it a goal to learn more about it this year.

Here’s my list, and because I’m eXtRa, I’m gonna try to learn more about each:


  1. The stock market
  2. Reality transurfing
  3. Vedic astrology
  4. How chalk is made
  5. How not to take things personally
  6. Attachment styles
  7. Vehicle maintenance
  8. Taxes
  9. Generational trauma
  10. Fasting

Have a wonderful Tuesday, dear reader!

And in case no one has ever told you, it’s okay not to know something. Ignorance doesn’t have to be a permanent state.

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