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by Harriett Simon Salinger
Fuel for your business
In this season of gift giving and receiving you may be puzzled to think about
“not knowing” as a gift. I love the quote from a poem by the wonderful Irish
poet, Galway Kinnell: “the first step shall be to lose the way.”
We thrive on not knowing
To be willing to “not know” is huge and courageous in a world that insists that
we know all and everything. Most of us believe, and society teaches us, that
success is based on knowing, on having a crystal clear plan comparable to one
IBM might use—and definitive goals.
Yet if this was truly the only formula for success, the world would be in
terrible trouble. We would still be be riding around with horses and buggies and
telling time with a sundial. We have advanced; we have made important and
ground-breaking discoveries not because we knew how to, but because some people
were very willing to not know what they were doing—they thrived on the
inspiration, creativity and pure “guts” of experimentation.
For example, when he set sail in 1492 Christopher Columbus thought he was
discovering the westward route to the East Indies. Instead, he found America.
Didn't he experience the gift of not knowing? He set out with one thing in mind, believing—but not knowing—the world was round, and discovered not only America but
the nature of the Earth.
Are you willing to go where you or we have never journeyed before? Are you
willing to go into your personal unknown to create what's next for this world?
The first step
Not knowing is the first step to knowing. How often have you expected yourself
to “know” and you didn't? How often have you judged yourself for not having
“known” something?
Granted, there are things we need to know. The structures of our businesses are
obviously important; our product, our services, our brand, financials, etc. But
what
is it we need to be willing to not know? How can we allow ourselves to
dream, to invent, to be curious, to create if we are always in the “must-know”
state?
Give yourself permission
Allowing yourself to not know can be very challenging. Doing so requires you to
surrender the illusion of control over life and its circumstances. Give yourself
permission to do this and the world of the unknown, the world of unexpected will open up
to you—a world steeped in mystery, inspiration...and opportunity.
Check out Fuel cells for a short exercise designed to
help you explore your personal realm of “not knowing.”
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Fuel cells
This brief exercise will help you explore where you are in the domain of “not
knowing.”
- Write about the “part” of you that does not want to know. What is this
part's voice in the matter? Do you stifle this part of you?
- What is the worst thing that can happen to you/to others if you don't
know? And then what would happen if your worst case scenario came true?
Repeat the last line until you feel a release or shift.
- Describe a time and situation where not knowing benefited you. Where
were you? What were you doing? What were the results?
- Based on your own experiences, what are the benefits of not knowing? How
can you apply not knowing to your personal life or professional pursuits?
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Fuel for your soul
Consider these words of wisdom:
“One doesn't discover new land without consenting to lose sight of
the shore for a very long time.”
– Andre Gide, French Novelist
“It's not so much we're afraid of change or so in love with
the old ways, but it's that place between that we fear...it's like being
between trapezes...There is nothing to hold on to.”
– Marilyn Ferguson , American Futurist
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