Late Blooming ll--Getting Comfortable with the Unknown

In my reading about the brain, one thing that stood out is that the brain often tries to explain things we don’t understand by feeding us old stories, to explain new experiences.  If you are tired of these stories, try getting comfortable Not Knowing why something is happening.

For example, if I come to work on Monday morning and say “Good morning.” to one of my co-workers, and they don’t answer, my brain might start sending me messages like, “They don’t like you.” These messages set in motion subtle defensive responses that actually affect a person’s like-ability.  If, on the other hand, I say to myself, “I don’t know why they are not answering” (which is actually closer to the truth), I stay neutral, and frequently we have a pleasant conversation later, when they don’t have something else on their mind.

After observing more carefully the messages I got from my brain, I expanded Not Knowing into many areas of my life. One example is below:

I planned to give a talk about the Alexander Technique to a church group.  Prior to the event, my brain kept sending me predictions of disastrous outcomes.  I decided to note what my brain predicted and compare it to what actually occurred during the talk, which actually went well.

Now, instead of trying to boost my confidence before a performance, I simply remain open and comfortable with the unknown, having trust in the flow of life, which is definitely a feature of Late Blooming.