Welcome, please note that today’s post is a tad long, so I enjoin you to please stay with me till the end and I promise you will be glad you did.
Have you ever heard the expression ‘ignorance is bliss’? Well, now you have. Let me ask you a question then; ‘what comes to your mind when you hear it said’?
Personally, I used to use that expression when I am referring to the fact that when people are ignorant they live in some kind of fool’s paradise. Please note I said I used to. Which points to the fact that I no longer think ignorance is bliss only means that the individual who doesn’t know has his head buried in the sand.
The reason I changed my mind is simply because I came to an ‘aha’ moment recently when it dawned on me that ignorance is actually bliss as it affords me the opportunity to learn new things especially; if I purpose it well.
What does this mean? It means first that I am no longer embarrassed of the stuff I don’t know. So do I just go around not knowing yet not worried about not knowing? Yes and no!
Yes because rather than beat myself down over not knowing, I can free myself from that guilt. And no; because I can now do something about what I don’t know.
In this business of Organic leadership and dream chasing; a lot of people have been stuck in ‘fool’s paradise’; where they think they know all there is to know while others have been stuck in guilt land where they are unable to admit that they don’t know hoping they can pretend they know until they get a hang of it, usually not realising others know they don’t know and that ‘fake it till you get it’ no longer works.
The thing both groups have in common is that they are stuck!
So what am I doing with the peace I now have in realising that I can do something about my ignorance? Well it has now given me the freedom to learn what I don’t know. I have learnt how to turn ‘ignorance is bliss’ to a blessing rather than a curse.
I am sure you are curious to know how I have chosen to purpose the ignorance I currently suffer. Okay here is the antidote; I am asking questions, a lot of questions.
I have learnt that ignorance can be bliss as a blessing rather than a curse if I ask questions. Ignorance can be the key that unlocks the door to vista unknown for me if I use it well by the questions I ask.
So what questions can I ask if I am ignorant to turn my life and situation around in my favour? Here are a few:
1. What exactly do I not know? Some people don’t even know what they don’t know! The thing is if you cannot discern what you don’t know then how can you fix it.
2. Who knows what I don’t know? The third most important question is ‘who knows what I don’t know that I need to know?’ Simple question, yes, but what it does is it gives you the opportunity to draw up a list and determine who knows what you need to know, and which one amongst them would you rather learn from? Please note that it is important who you choose to learn from. I usually pick the best because the way I see it; if I have been ignorant this long, it just makes sense to learn from the best now that I am ready.
3. How do I access those who know what I don’t know? This question leads you closer in the direction of the solution to the ignorance issue. I have found that sometimes the person who knows what I want to know is not accessible maybe because they reside in another country or are so busy that reaching them is almost impossible. However, I have also learnt that while I can’t physically reach them, I can access their thought processes via their books, blogs or anything they put out. In the process I discover opportunities when I can eventually access them physically. For instance, when I started to ask myself who I should learn leadership from, I chose John C. Maxwell. I followed his thought processes for over 8 years before I met him. When I realised that I needed a push as a woman with no limits I followed Anna McCoy and a year later I had access to her physically. I have been intrigued with Platform building and I have followed Michael Hyatt for three years God willing I will be meeting him later this year. Until you first ask how to access those you want to learn from, you may never be able to put a plan in place for how to reach them.
4. What do I need to invest so I can learn what I don’t know? This question is powerful in that it settles the issue surrounding cost and sacrifice to you. Your investment can be as low as buying a book or having internet access to be able to follow the thought processes that enhance your learning. At least that was how I started and for most of the people I follow they will remain that low; but for some like John C. Maxwell, Anna McCoy and Michael Hyatt to name a few, I have had to invest a little bit more in time, finances and energy. All these impact directly upon my learning.
5. When I do have access to them, what questions will I ask them? Lately, I have been watching on Social Media something I have tagged the Groupie mentality. I see it sometimes also at Live events, where someone has the opportunity of a life time to meet a world class leader/teacher and all they do is ask for a photograph or their middle name. Before you meet whoever you have chosen to learn from, please be sure to prepare your questions ahead. Don’t forget that you may never have the opportunity again and even if you do, note that your first question will determine if they will take your call the next time.
The point of today’s learning is simple and it is; that there will always be something we don’t know at some point. However, there is also someone who knows what we know and is willing to share their learning with us even if at a cost. So not knowing isn’t a sin, as long as we are intentional about knowing what we need to know and are committed to passing the learning on.
All these said however, please note that in the end the goal is to be smarter at what we do not to learn for the sake of learning.
Till next week when I come your way again, be confident in this fact; You will make it NeverTheLess.
Here is to your success
Bidemi