There’s a freedom in not-knowing because there’s nothing to be done until something shows up. You can simply bask in the moment and savor what you have around you.
What would it feel like not to make plans?
Early man had no calendars. They used the sun and the moon and the seasons to suggest their next steps – like planting a crop or harvesting one, preparing for winter or embracing spring. They took their clues from nature. That was about as far as their planning structure went. Their life was very simple and in the moment.
Compare that with even the thought of the pressure of today and you feel stress.
I’m not suggesting we go back to planting by the light of the moon unless that appeals to us. But I am suggesting that we lighten up with our planning, that we relax into the moment and trust ourselves to respond appropriately to whatever shows up.
Not-knowing requires trust
You have to trust that you’ll respond appropriately and effectively to what shows up. You have to trust that the perfect opportunities will emerge and that you’ll recognize them. Other than that, you can enjoy being surprised.
In the freedom of non-knowing, nothing is required but the need step
Focusing on the next step is very simple. Wake up in the morning and decide which next step you’re going to take. Then just decide to take it. Take a break during your day, tune into what your body and mind need, and in that moment, choose your next step. Then take the step.
Stay in the moment and let life unfold
I asked a friend to write a foreword for my next book. She asked what the timeline was. I could truly tell her that she could have even more time than she asked for because I was not on a deadline. It was going to get up on Amazon when it got up there. How simple is that – for her and for me.
Honor the moment
When inspiration strikes, I act. If I’m reading a novel and a sentence suggests an idea for a post, I stop in that moment and go to my computer and explore the idea then and there. In the moment. No plan. Just the next step. As it shows up.
Allow things to untangle themselves
I was discussing a decision that needed to be made. The person I was speaking to offered the perfect solution and the problem was solved and the decision made. In seconds. With one idea, one person’s fresh viewpoint, the problem was solved. I did nothing but pose the question. And the answer appeared.
Be open to the moment
When we live in the flow of the moment, we are flexible and free to change directions. I was acting on a particular idea and in the process of beginning to execute it, and then an entirely different solution popped into my mind.
Because I am an in-the-moment, let-life-unfold person, I acted on the new idea – instantly, in the moment. And it was a much better solution that what I’d started out to do.
Not-knowing requires presence
You need to stay mindfully aware in order to recognize the next step. That means you have to know enough about yourself to understand what you want and need, how you like to work and play, and the kind of people you want to be with.
When you know yourself well, you can make choices that are aligned with your own desires and needs.
Be present. When the new circumstance arises, sit quietly and reflect. Explore the possibilities. Listen to your inner wisdom. Then make your choice. In the moment. It will be the perfect choice.
Look at a choice as an opportunity to explore
You don’t have to know the outcome of your choice before you choose it. You make a choice and wander down that path a little to see where it might lead. If it takes you in the wrong direction, you can choose another path.
There’s great freedom in not-knowing what lies ahead. You’re so mindfully immersed in the moment you instinctively know the choice to make, the path to take.
When you’re fully present, you also know when it’s time to take a different path.
Relax into the freedom of non-knowing. Feel your way through your day with your emotions and your body and your instincts and see where that leads you.
Get out of your mind and into your heart. Stay in the moment of not-knowing. You need only address the next step. That’s the freedom of non-knowing.
To Sing a Deeper Song consider:
Lose Your Attachment to the Outcome
The Power of Non-Action
Why Unfolding Works
Allow the Right Action to Emerge
35—How to Hold the Space for Change.
30 – The No Plan Plan
