The Ever-Changing Knowing

Dear Soul

Have you ever given much consideration to what you know or your beliefs? Are you fixed in this and not open to change? Do you find every step in gaining new knowledge frightening? Do you think that what does not work a waste? Have you realized that you are ever evolving and so is what you know and what you believe in life? Have you seen the potential that comes from coming across new beliefs, new ideas and new knowledge? Have you entered these moments with an open mind, or do you stay closed to the possibilities and happy to remain with what is familiar and similar to you? Have you given others a true chance to expand your world with new ideas?

Knowing

We can only know what we know when we know it and we cannot hold our past or our future self’s hostage to this knowledge. We must live in the moment the best way we can and be open to the experience and learning that comes with it. It is with experience that we can make informed choices but here is the kicker, the information that we think we know is only relevant to a past you. Why do I say this? Because your knowledge and experience will change what you know as you go through life. If we are locked in and rigid with knowledge, then what is the point in learning? I know what I know until I learn I need to modify my wisdom, and I need to be willing to be wrong to find the answer. There is no shame in changing what we believe in. When we are open in our views the color of the world is invited in. When we have a differing view to another it is a chance to learn. The trick is to remain open minded and moving beyond the feeling of “I know better.” It is this attitude that has created chaos in the world and the answer to this is being comfortable with another to disagree and respect their opinion and who knows in the conversation you might walk away knowing something new or you might just find that you are not going to change your mind (but you listened and learned than made a value call from a place of new knowing). It is good to look at our beliefs from different angles and perspectives. It is okay to disagree it is in the friction of friendly debate we learn. There is no shame in having a different point of view from others and this does not make them your enemy.

Was it a Waste or a Chance to Learn?

I recently read an article on buying knives, it was interesting, well written and informative but not something I care greatly about, but there is always something to learn. I disagreed when the author of the article stated he had wasted money in chasing his dream knives (my interpretation of the article). He stated over the many years he loved cooking he wasted $2,000 on purchases of various knives. This is where I disagree and maybe I would have agreed if he had done it in one go, but he did not he had done it over many years. We can only know what we know in the moment and sometimes we have to buy something that does not work the way we wish it to find out what it is we do want. When we learn and grow, we are also changing our expectations. The beginner cook/chef he was did not need the most expensive knives at the start but as he progressed so did his need and desires. So, the experiment for him began. It was not a waste at all, it was an educational learning experience instead. It was learning what you did not know to find a new perspective; one you could not get unless you took that first step and risked mistakes.

We cannot know until we have experience. I have read and consumed knowledge over time, but it has no relevance until I use it. It is the same for the author and his knives. He could not know what he wanted until he had practical knowledge. I am not saying it is a free for all and spend willy-nilly and waste your money, but I am saying put everything into context. The $2000 seemed to be spent over many years and each purchase provided valuable information in what that author needed. Without experience we cannot know. We need to be willing to make mistakes to learn and this means at times we get to waste money too. Although I would still say it is not wasting but money spent on learning what it is you want in life.

Being Open and Learning to Listen

In the pursuit of learning we must risk our rigid self and learn to flow, or we are only seeking conformation of what we know now, and this is not learning. This is seeking approval. This is empowering others to tell us our worth. It is wanting to be right and clever. True learning comes from being willing to let go of who and what we thought we knew. What I have found is that I need to develop my listening skill to be able to hear what is being said and not what I think the speaker, author or teacher is saying. I need to let go and change the way I listen from being ready to respond and prove my knowledge and how clever I am. I need to stop listening by assuming what question will be asked or what the other is saying. I need to pivot from listening to respond, to listening to hear. To truly learn you must enter the conversation with a beginner’s mind and listen to what is said. Later you can put it altogether and who knows maybe you would have modified your viewpoint or at least gained knowledge that can allow you to show compassion for another’s view in life. I want to learn to understand. I want to learn so I can become the best version of me.

Next time you think you have made a mistake look for the lesson. Next time you attend a class or read pretend you have never heard of it before and look with new eyes. Next time be open to change or compassion. You know what you know until you learn otherwise. Once we thought the world was flat and then we got a new viewpoint and found a chance to see the beautiful jewel we live on from a new view and found she was a round orb in the vastness of space. You can still stand behind and believe what you want but when someone else has a differing view maybe just give them a chance, who knows what you can learn.

Until the next time.

In love and light

Rebecca

Dear Soul Wisdom