Philosophy

Trust and Instinct

You should go to Iceland.

That was the first thought that popped into my mind. I was feeling blue that morning, and when I asked myself how I could feel better, that was the answer I got. It was a pretty random one, even for me, and it made me both curious and confused.

Iceland? It's Thursday, I have stuff to do. And I don't have money right now anyway - or time. Maybe I'll go next summer.

Then I remembered something I said to my students the day before, that they should always, always, follow their instincts. And here I was, ignoring mine. Ugh, me and my big mouth...

But Iceland? Why? Was this even an instinct, or just a weird thought? Could I do this, in the middle of my week? And on that particular day, for no reason at all, I decided I could.

Trust and Instinct

So, twelve hours later, I landed in Reykjavik, with no idea where to go or how to get there. But go I did. I stayed for 6 days, and figured things out as I went. Not leading, but trying to follow.

It was a pretty epic trip, and funny enough, I did feel better. You may think I'm crazy, but do we ever really know where we're going, or how we're getting there? I certainly like to think I do, but when I feel like I finally have it all under control, that's usually when life hits me in the face and tells me, no you don't.

So what if we stopped pretending that we have any control over how things turn out? What if we followed our instincts rather than our fears and urge to control? What if you hopped on a plane? And I mean, right now. You know you could, right? Really. Think about it. What happens if you trust, and let go?

That's where I encourage you to work from.