What would you do if you didn't know what you knew?
Sounds a little bit like a line from a Doctor Suess book doesn't it?
Let that question sink in. "What would you do if you didn't know what you knew"?
For me, the answer is, I would be more open. Open to new information, opinions, options and discussion.
I have embarked on a learning path for the fall of 2019 and the idea of "not knowing what I know" or as some people call it, "beginner's mind" is an element that I had lost track of. Interestingly, or was it serendipity, I had an interaction last week that reminded me of the absolute playfulness of wonder and curiosity.
Being Open.
I am walking in my neighbourhood and for some reason, I decide to completely change the route I had planned on taking. When I am almost home, I notice in the distance a woman with a stroller and a dog. As I get closer I realize that it is a woman - lets call her Mandy- who I had met last summer when she was very visibly pregnant. Now, here she was with one year old "Josh" and her dog, Buster. I stop to chat and am immediately drawn to Josh's quiet yet enthusiastic need to know what everything is. At just one year old, he points to school buses, cars, birds, people, the trees...you name it. He is so curious about everything that is going on around him. Taking everything in. Like a sponge and not disregarding anything either, every bus was noticed as was every bird etc.
He seemed to have no preconceived notions of what things were or should be, he just took it all in. Data, information. The joy on his face each time he noticed something definitely left an impression on me.
So, what does this have to do with you? I don't know. I am guessing that maybe one or two of you reading this may be considered an "expert" in your field. You know, the one that others turn to when they need answers. Whether that "field" is at home or in the space you happen to work or volunteer in. I've heard that when we think we know something, we can miss the opportunity to learn something new about it. Thinking we "know it all" can leave no space for something new to come in. So what is one to do? Hmmm...lets see. Maybe, the next time you get in that situation (we all do) where you think you know all there is to know about something, pause. Take a moment and ask yourself, "what if I didn't know what I knew"? What would be different now? And just see what pops. You may be surprised...
