“I don’t know”

The above line has saved – and ended – the lives of many people. The points in my life that have been the most strenuous, peaked in summits of “I don’t know….” about the particular topic/situation at the moment.

Many fear the unknown. After all, it’s the unknown…

Fear. Love. Love fear.

For a culture that idolizes the hero in the movie, rushing into the thick of enemy foes, guns blazing, to sweep in and save the day, we sure seem to be afraid of stepping into the unknown; from cultures to neighborhoods, musical genres to sexual exploration, and the very existence of the lives we have.

I know an individual who enjoys putting people threw ‘interview’ questions about topics. Left. Right. Up. Down. Republican. Democrat. When you break out of the boxes these types of people try to put you through, it liberates you as an individual.

I’ve pushed into the unknown and continue to realize there’s a wealth of information that is freely available at our fingertips.

As the journey of self-employment treks past its 8th year, I sense a very clear shift in the wind. I used to be incredibly hard on myself for not having ‘anything to show’ for the past few years of my life. I finally begin to understand how the puzzle pieces of information we collect over the years – no matter how small or random – can usually be used to piece together the future.

Thus, the rules that used to feel so confining and rigged are now seen for what they are; a mechanism that can be studied, understood, and beaten to my own individual advantage to accomplish goals.

And…

I’m twenty-seven years old.

While there’s certainly a sense of urgency to possess the wealth and success I know my life will yield, allowing myself to simply be human (and 27) is all the clarity I need to have peace.