Running on a theory

Every morning, as I brush my teeth, like a trigger the dentist’s voice rings in my ear ‘electric toothbrushes are always better than manual ones’. And every morning I say to myself ‘how do they know?’ Well ok I suppose electric toothbrushes can be better relied upon to brush more strongly, provide more brush strokes and thereby remove more plaque … but how do they know that more vigorous brushing won’t wear away your tooth enamel … or maybe the vibrations from the toothbrush might, I dunno, rattle your teeth about too much and make them fall out earlier … who knows? Yet we’re all willing to accept the dentist’s recommendation to use an electric toothbrush…

Well, as my mind was pondering this bland conundrum the other morning I followed the thought along to ‘Just think how many other things we take as fact, which are actually just theory’. That we’ll be well and healthy tomorrow, that nuclear war won’t break out, that we are actually the child of our parents (hospital mix-ups do happen you know!), our religious or spiritual standpoint, or the lack of it, that when you see something red, and somebody else sees something red that you actually both experience red in the same way … the list goes on. It’s a little unsettling when you first think about it … that a lot of what we base our lives on is theory. What if the theory is wrong? What if I get to 70 and all my teeth fall out because I’ve used an electric toothbrush for so long?

I like living on a theory though. For one thing, life is never dull and you never quite know what tomorrow will bring … but I think it’s more than gratuitous excitement. You see if you live in a world of theory, the possibilities are endless. Once you realise that pretty much everything is unstable, if you can find a way to place yourself ‘at cause’, i.e. be a force that makes things happen, or holds them as they are, or stops them happening, then you can do anything.

I think that’s a real key to life. Being comfortable in instability. A lot of people like things to remain stable and when elements of their world change unexpectedly that’s unsettling for them. Instead of being rattled by the change though, you can see it as an opportunity. To create something new, to be the most updated version of you, to understand something in a deeper way.

Embracing the possibility of instability allows you to be truly alive. If we always wait for ‘absolute facts’ before we make decisions, we delay and delay in taking action, and often those opportunities go stale and pass us by. If, on the other hand we’re willing to act on an estimate or a 70% likelihood, we get to take action more frequently, and get to live life far more on our own terms. The ride may be a little choppier, and sometimes we’ll make mistakes, but we’ll get more of what we want and boy will the process be exhilarating!

So this week embrace uncertainty, live on the edge and push the boundaries of possibility – it will be the ride of your life!

Rivka

Ps: A quick shout out to my colleague Sara Jane Tepper (http://www.facebook.com/sarahjanetepper), who gives a fantastic full body massage amongst other things. If you’re living on the edge you need to take good care of yourself and this is one way! – check out Sara Jane’s website http://www.hertsholistic.com from where I copied the following:

Herts Holistic is run by Sarah-Jane Tepper and is based at Elstree Film Studios in Hertfordshire. She is ITEC and VTCT qualified and has Diplomas in Anatomy & Physiology, Massage, Indian Head Massage and Reflexology . She trained at the Central London College of Reflexology and the Middlesex School of Complementary Medicine. She is also qualified in Reiki I and II. Sarah-Jane writes Being Holistic, a column for At Home magazine online and is an independent distributor for Forever Living. She is fully insured and a member of the Association of Reflexologists and the Federation of Holistic Therapists.

I’m Jumping Right In!

Isn’t it funny how small things can stick in the memory?  Whilst ploughing laboriously through oodles of probably very intelligent works on philosophy as part of my degree (I say ‘probably’, because if I’m honest, I didn’t understand half of it, the language was so obtuse) I remember coming across rather a refreshing viewpoint.  In the introduction to one of his tombs of wisdom, the author (I think it was John Searle) spent quite some time telling us how he was using the book to air his CURRENT views on the philosophy of consciousness.  He said that he might well shortly change his mind, and then he’d air those views instead, and he reserved the right to do so. 

Isn’t that a refreshing way to think?  If its good enough for Searle, its good enough for me!  Rather than pontificating and obsessing endlessly about whether the contents of this blog are right, whether they ought to be preserved for posterity, whether I’ve dotted all my ‘i’s and crossed all my ‘t’s … I’m just going to write!  I hereby reserve the right to change my mind, or even (heaven forfend!) to be wrong!  Hah.  That feels good.

I’m a life coach and hypnotherapist (amongst a bunch of other things), and I delight in partnering up with my clients to help them achieve the life they desire.  My wish for this blog as it sets sail on its maiden voyage, is that it provide its readers with inspiration, food for though, avenues for exploration and the occasional giggle or two.

So here’s a little something to think about … where in your life would it serve you right now to Just Jump In? The water may well be cold, but how will you ever know, until you go for it?  Calculate your risks by all means, just remember that time is precious – you’ll learn more by the experience than you ever will by theorising about it … so take the leap and enjoy the journey!

Yours, with gloriously wet feet,

Rivka

Ps: All feedback very gratefully welcomed, all subscribers even more gratefully welcomed, and those who recommend this blog to others … well, you’re just Top Banana!