Do you like a good mystery? You’re living one right now. Your life does not have to be a horror film, though. It can be an exciting mystery, where the twists and turns lead to a successful conclusion. Don’t be scared of uncertainty. You know that the person who freezes with fear in a scary movie usually bites the dust. You don’t want to be that character. Anything can happen. Uncertainty might not lead to your destruction. It might be just the inspiration you are seeking to get to your happy ending.
Have you ever considered the idea that uncertainty and mystery are the energy that fuels your life? They can be your muses and propel you to follow your creative impulse. Not knowing what is going to happen sparks the question “what if.” That draws out your unique talents. You don’t know what the right answer is, so you are free to wonder about the possibilities.
List the ten best movies you have ever seen. Then take a look at your list and put those movies in categories. Are they love stories, mysteries, scary movies, adventure films, or something else? How do you think the movies you enjoy reflect your real life? Are they parallel to your life, or are they completely opposite? Do you like heart pounding thrillers, but in real life you rarely leave the house after dark?
Is the movie of your life a boring remake of an old, predictable theme? Or is your movie filled with excitement and surprises at every turn?
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Unless you have been living in a cave for the last few years, you know that we are lucky enough to exist in a time when technology makes massive amounts of information easily accessible. You can Google just about anything and instantly receive hundreds of reports, articles, blogs, websites, and the like describing the topic of interest. In many ways, that is a huge advantage. You have access to information now that would have been difficult to find a few short years ago. The opportunity for you to collect hoards of information without ever leaving your home is infinite.
That is an incredibly exciting prospect, because it levels the playing field. You have an equal opportunity today. You can access much of the same information that other people use to obtain success. If you are willing to do the work, you can gather up all sorts of facts and figures that will help you achieve your dreams.
On the other hand, information means nothing if it is not verified or applicable to your life. What you are ultimately striving for is knowledge. What’s the difference? Journal for a few minutes today about what you believe the difference is between information and knowledge.
Here are a few more questions to consider while you are writing in your journal: When you look something up on the Internet, how do you know it’s true? What information do you look for, and how do you use it? Are you drowning in information but starved for knowledge today?
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Another interesting side effect of this “information age” is that many people stop trusting their instincts. They want to check their ideas with an expert before making any sudden moves.
Brenda was tired of her children spending too much time on the computer. When she was a kid, she was always outside playing with the other children in the neighborhood. She fondly remembers the forts they made and the elaborate games they cooked up in each other’s backyards. Their parents had to yell at them to come inside when it was dinnertime, because they were having such a great time together.
Brenda wanted to encourage her own children to get out of the house and into some physical activity, too. She herded them out of their rooms where they were isolated on their laptops, chatting with friends online and playing video games.
“Why don’t you go outside and play for awhile?” Brenda suggested. “It’s a beautiful day.”
The kids agreed, but all three of them momentarily ducked back into their rooms to prepare. When she followed them, she found out they were looking up ideas online for games to play outside.
This might sound like a ridiculous story to you, but it happens all the time. How often do you check online to see if your instincts fit in with what the general population is doing? Are there ways you can trust yourself more?
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