I’m pretty sure I’ve shared this before, but it’s probably worth repeating.

Besides as we grow older, we discover new knowledge and have new experiences that add another dimension to what we already know.

…If we let it!

Over 10 years ago when I was studying to be an alternative healing teacher, I learned something that changed the way I saw the world.

One of my teachers knew that a lot of what she was teaching us was quite difficult to comprehend.

Some of the students simply labelled her “out there” ideas as B.S. and moved on to the next shiny modality… or created their own.

As for me, well, I was always intrigued by the way her mind worked and was keen to know more. So, I kept my mind as open as I could get it.

But at times, even I had a hard time believing what she taught us.

Seeing our struggle, one day she shared the story about her “unexplainable shelf.”

When she first started exploring the alternative healing technique, she shared with us, even she found a lot of it challenging and a little confronting. (A lot of what she struggled with and taught me is almost mainstream today.)

Fortunately, she knew that there were limitations to her knowledge.

So, rather than dismiss these outlandish ideas… she decided to put them somewhere where she could process them when she had more experience or knowledge.

Sometimes the ideas or concepts would stay on her “unexplainable shelf” for years.

But then one day she’d get the piece she needed to make everything else snap into place.

By putting things on her “unexplainable shelf,” she created an open loop that her mind was keen to close. So, it unconsciously kept looking for the answer.

Our subconscious mind is an amazing ally if we give it something to do. (If we don’t it will “entertain itself” … and that’s where the trouble starts.)

After I heard my teachers’ story about her “unexplainable shelf” I decided to try it for myself.

I went to my local I.D.E.A store and bought an “assemble at home” flat pack. It was easy to install.

Now, before I tried this strategy, I thought I was already open minded. But I wasn’t quite as open as I thought I was.

If something confused me or frustrated me, I’d just dismiss it as ridiculous and never revisit it.

And then on the opposite end of the spectrum, sometimes I was too open.

I’d try to work out what was going on with my limited knowledge and experience. (That one did my head in. I would get stuck in an endless exploration loop that would end up with me felling inadequate or stupid. Not a good place to be when you have depression.)

But as Einstein said, “you can’t solve a problem with the same mind that created it.”

So, when I started to use her “unexplainable shelf” concept, it relieved me of the pressure of having to work everything out in the here and now. And it kept me open to eventually finding the answer.

And do you know what?

I often find myself saying “ahh” as something off my “unexplainable shelf” is solved when I least expect it. I love it when that happens. It’s almost as though a veil lifts up revealing everything in a brand-new light.

Since I learned about this mind opening concept over 10 years ago, I’ve been able to apply it to other aspects of my life.

I’ve applied it to copywriting, marketing, business, relationships, travel… and the list goes on.

For me though, the greatest gift the “unexplainable shelf” has given me is…

Knowledge Nugget #183:
We Don’t Have To Have All The Answers Right Now!

And that’s great to know!

When I was in the Army, we weren’t expected to have all the answers… but we were expected to get the answer as quickly as we could.

If someone asked me question that I had no answer for, the expected reply was “I don’t know the answer to your question, and I’ll get back to you with the answer as soon as I can.”

It trained us to be proactive and look for answers.

But it also trained people to cut corners and rush the reply. Oftentimes incorrect information was passed on as a highly “researched” answer.

And there was another problem. Sometimes we couldn’t access the right information to give us the right answer (e.g. wrong security class etc.).

So, a lot of the time the answers we came up with were only as good as the information we had at the time.

There’s not a lot wrong with that. It’s how we usually answer questions.

We answer the question immediately with the information we have at hand.

But what happens is… answers are restricted by the current knowledge and experience. And they are practically set in stone and become gospel (right or wrong). There is little to no room for revisiting the problem as skills improve or expansive thought as knowledge builds.

And that could be why organisations such as the Army are rigid and find it hard to keep up with new ways of doing things. Of course, tradition etc, are important… but even those need to be revisited too!

I remember when the Army changed rifles and people were still wanting to do the traditional rifle drill. The problem was, the new rifle was shorter and lighter. So, the long-held tradition had to be revisited with the new knowledge and changed.

We live in an ever-changing world that expects us to change with it.

And if we don’t bend a bit with those changes… we will end up breaking.

That’s why I like the idea of the “unexplainable shelf” so much. It gives me the flexibility to observe the world without getting stuck in a rut of judgement.

Because when we observe, we get to see a bigger picture of what’s going on. Whereas, when we are stuck in the action, it’s hard to see what’s really going on.

When you have the skills of objectiveness and observation… you’ll understand your fellow humans even more.

And when you understand them, you can inspire them… Motivate them… Sell to them… And have empathy for them.

And this will make a massive difference in the way you interact with people at all levels.

Until next week… take care and be awesome 🙂

Pauline xxx

Pauline Longdon
a.k.a. “The Copy Alchemist”

P.S.  After installing my “unexplainable shelf” I noticed that I am more understanding of others. This has been an unexpected but a most welcome side effect. I don’t feel pressured to either work someone out… or dismiss them if I don’t understand them.

I am also not as quick to judge… but I am always quick to observe. And that makes a huge difference in the way I interact with people and connect with them.

P.P.S.  Speaking of connecting with people… I’m working on my presentation for my Member’s Spotlight at AWAI’s Bootcamp in May. I only have 10 minutes to connect with the audience, share some wisdom with them and leave them in a better place than before they heard me speak. It’s quite a challenge.

But I know that I don’t have to have all the answers right now. The talk is evolving, and I know it will come together nicely by May.

P.P.P.S.  Have you listened to last week’s episode of “Breaking Through The BS” podcast, titled “You Gotta Keep Them Separated” yet?

It’s about all the different roles we play in our lives and knowing if we are playing the right role at the right time?

Because, when we try to be the same thing to everyone… we end up being nothing to no one. And that gets in the way of having great meaningful relationships with people.

You can listen in at: BreakingThroughTheBS.com (…reply to this email and let us know what you think.)