You Never Know

We like to think we have all the answers. We like to believe we don't stereotype. We do. But the truth is, you never really know.

You never know who will be at the meeting, what you will see on the trip, or how the weird looking food will taste. Life teaches us to be economists, to simplify and to make decisions based on experience.

To some degree this inner voice is useful, it tells not to walk down dark alleyways, not to play with dangerous animals, etc. But, as soon as we assume we know the answer we lose our ability to create. Our mind has decided. This is "the way".

Imagine if Columbus accepted the world as flat, or if Thomas Edison surrendered in his effort to invent the "lightbulb". These two had no clue if they would be successful. But they did have belief. They were committed to exploration, discovery, and asking questions that few of their peers dared to imagine.

We can no longer accept status quo as the optimal solution. This philosophy is why startup companies are infatuated with the idea of "disrupting" the market. Because, you never know.

Keep turning over stones. Nothing is off limits. Let your immagination be your hurdle. As Steve Jobs thoughtfully advised in his commencement address to Stanford University, "stay hungry, stay foolish". Be brave, ask why. Because you never know. And that is ok. Not knowing is beautiful. It gives us freedom to be explorers, to create art, and to share it with the world.

You never know.