#249 Celebrate Confusion

Once upon a time, I was at a Tony Robbins event. Thousands of people. Fired up. And, literally, walking on fire. 😃

I basically filled up an entire journal as I was learning how to unleash the power within. Here’s one idea that has stuck with me over the last 15 years.

Imagine thousands of people in an auditorium. Someone stands up to ask a question.

They start with, “I’m confused…”

Then Tony interrupts them and has the entire audience stand up and give them a MASSIVE, extended, standing ovation.

And, EVERY SINGLE TIME someone starts one of their questions with “I’m confused…” everyone hops out of their seats to cheer.

The message: “You’re confused? That’s fantastic!!!”

Why?

Because that confusion is our gateway to clarity.

That confusion signifies our willingness to leave an old way of thinking and move toward a new way of thinking.

Now, as fate would have it, going from one way of thinking to a new way of thinking is rarely a super elegant process.

We like to THINK it should be a snap-your-fingers and you instantly have it all figured out kinda thing but, alas, that’s not how it works. At all.

Growth is messy.

Wrapping our brains and our behaviors around new ways of seeing the world is messy.

Enter: Confusion.

And, enter: A standing ovation!!

We need to discipline ourselves to associate confusion with AWESOME not with terror. Easier said than done which is why we need to practice it.

So…

How about you?

Feeling any confusion about anything lately?

Step back. Give yourself a standing ovation.

Remember that a good life is one hero’s journey after another. And, by Joseph Campbell’s definition, living heroically means being willing to leave the known world and venture into the forest of the unknown. Again. And again. And again. And THAT, by definition, can be a bit scary. It’s supposed to be.

Let’s get comfy being uncomfy. I’ve heard it’s the only way to actualize. 😃

“Bring it on!” “I’m excited!” “Standing O!”