Life, as well as a wildest jungle, is scattered with pitfalls. To think of exploring it without the aid of reason is not wise. How could we guide ourselves through life without the torch of reason? The person who haphazardly ventures into the darkness will find themselves confronted by obstacles which they were unable to foresee. To reason about a thing is to dissect it, to examine it from every point of view before adopting it, before deferring to it or before rejecting it; in one word, to reason about a thing is to act with conscious volition. Without reason, there is no common sense. Moving into the unknown does require a good dose of common sense. Common sense is a capacity that must be developed if it is to be utilised to the full power. Common sense permits us to frustrate fear.

So let’s reason about the unknown.

Healthy fear isn’t bad. We know that if we put our fingers into a live wall socket, we will experience an electrical shock that might be fatal. It’s NOT AN UNKNOWN, it’s common sense. While a healthy fear protects us, an unhealthy fear dominates us to the degree where we are terrified to undertake anything new. We get paralysed.

What drives unhealthy fear? It is the UNKNOWN. It adequately keeps us from improving ourselves and our businesses. It causes extensive inertia. Instead of reasoning about and embracing the unknown, we worry about the poor results the unknown might produce. What if it doesn’t work? What if we get rejected? What? Where? Who? The list of questions seems endless.

Imagine if the early space explorers ceased their work due to fear of the unknown. Imagine if the Wright brothers stopped experimenting with flying because of possible negative results the unknown might yield. History is full of people who faced the unknown but pushed through and succeeded. These explorers and inventors embraced the unknown as part of the process. They researched the unknown, thereby gaining a better understanding of what things might await them, and were more prepared to negotiate through those things as they cropped up. Anticipation was a successful quality.

What if you embraced the unknown as part of your life? What if you understood the unknown itself? What if you knew the results the unknown might produce in your favour. The more you know, the more courageous you will be.

How to embrace the unknown? It’s all about knowing. It’s about decreasing your ignorance.

1. Research the unknown. There are people that have gone before you and through the unknown. Ask them. Get the upper hand on the unknown, and then move forward with a calculated risk in reaching a goal. If you know the things of and in the unknown, you will build a better spaceship to protect yourself and go further.

2. Anticipating the unknown will furnish you with unusual clarity and will inspire ideas and equip you with the knowledge of what actions to take to achieve a positive result. The more you know the unknown, the better you deal with disappointment.

3. Don’t waste your energy on fighting unhealthy fear. Alter your perception of the unknown and the unhealthy fear will disappear.

4. Make peace with the unknown. It’s always going to be there. Embrace it as a vital part of your understanding of life and business.

WHAT A MAN CAN DO AND SUFFER IS UNKNOWN TO HIMSELF ‘TIL SOME OCCASION PRESENTS ITSELF WHICH DRAWS OUT THE HIDDEN POWER. – Schopenhauer.

Best,
Marcus

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