How Do I Know?

A very smart person once asked me, "How do I know?"  It doesn't matter what the question is, not really.  What matters is the real meaning; "What if I get it wrong?"  Want to know the answers?  OK, here you go: you don't know, and it doesn't matter.  Things are getting pretty cryptic aren't they?

Let's look at this from two completely different angles.  Firstly, the surface question: "How do I know?"  You never really know things for certain, and I don't mean things like the 0.2 x 0.3, I mean things about yourself, about life.  By the way, what's the answer to the question?  Keep it in your head, the answer's at the bottom.  

So, what do you do to give yourself the best background knowledge and the best chance of success.  Well for starters, think.  Think why.  Question things.  And think.  Reflect.  Find your champions.  Use and trust them.  Look at past experience.  Look at where you are, where you've come from and where you want to be.  Use your brain!  If it's good, if they're good, keep hold, and if they're bad, get rid.  Be patient, learn.  Easy, full stop.  

Here's the tricky part - at the same time you need to trust yourself, trust your instincts and trust your judgement.  I like skiing.  I own a BeardSki and it's class (See the picture approximately North-North-East from here).  I often use skiing as a metaphor for thinking.  Who's the better skier, the novice who can shoot down the mountain at 100 miles per hour in a wobbly blur straight down.  They'll get down quickly but if they crash it'll be spectacular and they won't be in control.  Or is the better skier the person who thinks about what they're doing, who can carve out perfect turns at a good speed, covering the whole mountain, hitting the jumps and maintaining control (like me.....ish)?  Either way, both people need to just get down the mountain and get on with it, so be aware, for all the thinking in the world, acting is equally as important.  Don't end up at the top of a mountain of potential staring at the down slope forever without moving.  Then again, I know someone who can ski faster than me backwards than forwards, so I guess she's got the real answers, whatever they may be!

Now for the second question, "What if I get it wrong?"  I'll answer with a quote or two.

"Never regret.  If it's good, it's wonderful, if it's bad, it's experience."

Victoria Holt

"I haven't failed.... I've just found 10000 ways that won't work."

Thomas Edison

It doesn't matter if you mess something up.  There's always a way through things. Try not to make the same mistake more than once and remember there are positives in everything.  There's always something you can learn.  There's always your champions, the people who are there ready and waiting for when  you reach out.  If you don't know where they are, find them.  Think.  Learn.  

Remember, just by asking the questions, just by reading, just by thinking about things this very second, you're miles and miles and miles ahead of everyone else.

By the way, the answer is 0.06.

Keep thinking.