How this thought is holding you back.
How many times have you sat stumped by a problem, and thought ‘I don’t know what to do’ or ‘I don’t know how to do this’ or some other version of ‘I don’t know’? Of course you don’t know everything, but the thought ‘I dont know’ is holding you back in a big way! First, let me remind you that ‘I don’t know’ is just a thought. And, it's not a thought you have to keep thinking. ‘I don’t know’ is a definitive statement. It shuts down the resourceful, problem-solving, creative functioning in your brain. That’s why when you think ‘I don’t know’ you stay stumped, instead of finding solutions. Although you might be able to find support to validate the thought ‘I don’t know’, the truth is that you ‘don’t know … yet’. You have figured out the solution to countless obstacles in your life before, and you can continue to do so. You are designed to problem solve. You’ve been doing it since the moment you were born. Think of a baby laying just out of reach of a toy they want. The distance between the baby and the toy is a problem, because they want it. The baby might first try to solve their problem by crying in hopes that someone will get the toy for them. When that doesn’t work, they might start to squirm and wiggle. When they find that one of those movements propels them closer to the toy, they try to do it again. Then they begin kicking their legs. Pretty soon they figure out a rudimentary form of crawling that gets them to the toy they want! If you want to figure out how to solve a problem for yourself, you’ve got to drop the ‘I don’t know’ thinking. There are so many other thoughts that are more useful. I like: I don’t know … yet. I am figuring it out. I’m trying different solutions. Just like that baby learning to get to the toy, you can start trying one thing at a time. When you come across something that is promising, add to it. Piece by piece you find answers by experimenting. It might be a little sloppy and look like a rudimentary crawl for a bit, and that’s OK! With continued effort and practice you’ll be cruising forward with ease.
