Sunday, May 1, 2011

Confusion


"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."
- Confucius

When it is deemed to be the appropriate Time for us to leave the
joyful world of childhood and enter the mundane world of adulthood,
we are tutored and Indoctrinated by a wide variety of adults. Adults
who live in complex and Confusing worlds. Yet, because they are
adults we, as children, look up to them with a degree of awe and
respect; for, after all, they are "adults", aren't they?

And even though we are still naive little kids, we see that they
anguish over the complexities and trials of adult life. We see that,
in many ways, they are Confused, frustrated, and are suffering for
answers to all of the issues which confound them in the world of
grown-ups. We see that, although they are adults, they do not have
all of the answers we imagine that they do have.

But again, because they are adults, we respect them and look up to
them for guidance and answers. The same guidance and answers
which they too are struggling to find. These are our teachers. And,
regardless of how pure their intentions are, the Truth is that no one
can teach another something which they themselves do not know.
No one can teach us clarity of Thought if they themselves are
confounded, Confused, and perplexed.

Yet these are the mentors who "guide" us into adulthood.

So the question is: if we are surrounded by a sea of Confusion,
where do we go to find Clarity, Truth, and Understanding?

Each one of us enters our Current Incarnation with special qualities
and interests. And it is probably safe to say that, regardless of how
someone (or someones) try to steer us, we ultimately proceed upon
a Path that is in general Harmony with our Divine Nature.

We tend to pursue a career and hone our skills in those areas which
give us delight, maintain our interest, and are consistent with our
personality.

Over Time, we become very good at our specialties and personal
interests. We truly Become, at least to some degree, an expert in
our Chosen field or hobby. We can Speak and Act with surety so
long as we stay within the areas of our expertise.

But, what happens when we are confronted with a Decision, or
dilemma, which is outside of the area of what we know?

We become Confused!

Confusion does not mean that we are stupid or incapable of
understanding new things. It simply means that we are beyond our
field of expertise; we are a "fish out of water"; we are attempting to
make Decisions on things we know little, or nothing about.

We all become Confused when we step outside our area of expertise.
These are the Times when we experience Simple Ignorance. Simple
Ignorance is the lack of solid, or bona fide, information, knowledge,
and options. And there is only one way to cure Simple Ignorance:
learn that which we are Ignorant of!

However, learning something entirely new may seem like a daunting
and impractical task for us. So, what do we do then?

If we are like most people, we compensate for our Simple Ignorance
by either accumulating enormous amounts of information and
Opinions on whatever it is that is Confusing us, or we seek out
someone else to "manage" our Confusion for us.

When we are rapidly accumulating vast amounts of information and
Opinions, we become perplexed, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Our
mind becomes cluttered, our perception becomes distorted, and our
judgement becomes clouded. This is the worst possible Time for us
to make a Decision on whatever it is that is Confusing us.

On the other hand, when we turn our personal Decisions over to
another person to "manage", we may, in fact, be relying upon
someone else to make Decisions for us who may not be much more
knowledgeable than us. Someone who also may have objectives,
such as fees and commissions, which are in direct conflict with our
best interest.

And finally, in Times of great Confusion, we may find ourselves
entering into uneasy Compromises which we may deeply regret
at some future Time.

So, with these Thoughts in mind, what is the best way for us to
handle Confusion?

It is important to keep one distinct possibility in mind. And that
possibility is that most presumed crises are really unimportant
Events which do not require any Action on our part. These imagined
crises will dissolve and fade away of their own accord.

We must therefore Truly ask of ourselves whether our crisis, or
Confusion, is real or imaginary. If we determine it is imaginary,
then it is probably in our best interest to simply "let it go".

However, when a major Event or Decision does confront us, this
is the Time for us to take a few deep breaths and dedicate our
ourselves to understanding, in depth, that which we need to know
in order to make a rational and safe Decision...regardless of how
much Time, energy, and effort it may require of us.

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be either
advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions and no more.
Everyone is encouraged to seek competent advice from a licensed,
registered, or certified professional should such advice or service be
required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2011
Facebook StumbleUpon Technorati Delicious squidoo Google Bookmark
Yahoo mister-wong blogmarks spurl BlinkList Furl

No comments: