Stop and think!  How much of your waking hours do you spend being confused?  Or puzzled? Or maybe you prefer to use the the word ‘uncertain’?  If the answer is hardly at all, I would suggest you get yourself more confused, more often.

Being certain, being sure, having it all figured out, is not conducive to learning and growth. We are primed for learning when we are at the edge of of our knowledge. When our beliefs are challenged.  When the bubbles of our old certainties are popped.

Our brains develop and change throughout our lives by reinforcing and strengthening existing neural connections, but they are also capable of creating new neural connections deep into old age. We don’t lose the capacity to learn, develop and grow, but we can become entrenched. It is all too easy to get fixed on our existing set of knowledge, perspectives, assumptions and beliefs.  We may choose to reject new thinking, preferring to live with our ‘tried and trusted’ world-view.

But it is also our choice to challenge and question our existing mind-sets. Staying curious, being uncertain, and embracing confusion are recommended if you want to continue to grow and develop. Being aware of where your knowledge and understanding gets fuzzy, and then pushing your thinking out into that zone of uncertainty is a great way to move your learning forward.

Ride on the edge of your knowledge, and get comfortable with not knowing. It is here, right here, on that Vital Edge, where creativity lives, where discoveries are made, and innovations emerge. Embrace the confusion.