***It’s Always One of Two Answers

“For every complex problem there is answer that is clear, simple and wrong.”
H.L. Mencken

“Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.”
William S. Burroughs

Questions and answers.

We spend so much time caught up trying to find answers to questions. Every time a question comes up that requires an answer we put ourselves through a huge series of mental gymnastics.

We run all kinds of scenarios. If I do this, what will happen? If I do that, what will happen? We go through endless exercises playing out the consequences of each answer. And whenever we ask another question it starts the cycle over again.

The problem is that the questions and answers begin to overlap. This causes a massive traffic jam in our minds and leads to confusion.

The confusion begins to build and then more questions get thrown into the soup and now where are you?

Fairly quickly your mind becomes gridlocked and starts to shut down. It just becomes too much.

What do you do?

Years ago I learned from my teacher Stuart Wilde, that there are just two answers to every question: Yes or no. They will or they won’t. It will work or it won’t.

No need for a long analysis of potential scenarios. Just keep it simple and basic- yes or no.

It really is that simple if you think about it.

There is no point in searching out possibilities or outcomes.

But we still do because we are conditioned with a need to know and therefore we try to control outcomes.

But we can’t.

So when a question comes up, it’s yes or no. Then you respond to the next situation. If you can, you will, if you can’t, then you won’t. And so on.

No problem, short and sweet.

I used to be very forward thinking. I tried to anticipate every possible outcome and think three or four steps down the road for each outcome. I used to think it was strategic thinking.

But what it really was, was exhausting.

I would find myself stretched way out into the future trying to come up with ideas or deciding what steps I would need to take to accomplish a goal. It was hopeless.

Sometimes I planned for goals that weren't even a goal yet!

But I eventually changed the way I was thinking. Now when I see a task that I need to do in the future, I still watch myself as I start to future think and plan, “What am I going to do about that?” “How will I get ready for this?”

But I stop. I don’t plan and I don’t worry.

Now I tell myself I will think about that when I sit down to actually start that task. And then I stop thinking about it.

I have learned to trust that I will know what to do when I need to do it. The answers will come. I trust that my creative side will come up with ideas.

And it always does. It’s really fun.

And so much easier.

It is amazing what powers we have. 

Every answer is already in your mind. Every answer to every question.

You can solve every problem and answer every question if you will just let go, relax, and let it flow.

Listen to your quiet voice. It already knows.

You can’t find answers if your mind is clogged and burdened with multiple programs all running at the same time. Questions, questions……… What to do? What now?

So stop it.

It just doesn’t work. Let go.

Like Scarlet O’Hara says in “Gone With The Wind”:

“I’ll think about that tomorrow…”