7.7 billion ways to get to my house.
I’ve mentioned several times recently that I don’t believe in silver bullets or the idea that one size fits all. Perhaps it’s just me and the ads and sponsored posts I see, but it seems as though the market is saturated with people selling simple cures for complex problems, claiming to know ‘how’ something works for me, or worse yet, ‘the secret to…’
I am not opposed to listening to the ideas, opinions and thoughts of other people, in fact it’s quite the contrary, I enjoy saturating myself in the wisdom and insights of others.
But the moment I hear things like “all you have to do is…” or “the secret is…” or “the solution to your problem is…” I rapidly start to close down.
Here’s why.
I find it utter nonsense to believe that someone who paid Facebook so that I would see their ad could know enough about who I am and where I am to offer me anything or real worth or substance.
This led me to have this thought.
There are 7.7 billion ways to get to my house because there are about 7.7 billion people on the planet.
It’s true that many would walk or travel some portions that were similar, but each person would ultimately require slight, or drastically different directions to get to my home.
Even the neighbors left, right and front of me take a different route to get to my home.
This thinking led to my next thought.
In attempting to help myself or anyone else, I ought to take the time to know and understand where I am.
I use Apple Maps all the time to help me get to my desired destination. But in order for any navigation system to provide useful or accurate directions, it first needs to know where I am. Without this piece of data Apple Maps would be about as useful at directing me as the rock I picked up from my garden.
Which brings me back to the saturated market of ideas and bold claims. The vast majority of people have absolutely no clue where I am personally, professionally, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically or how my relationships are going, so how could they possibly, with any real ethic or success offer me their “solution.”
I know it’s not beautiful, catchy or appealing marketing to say, “I have an idea that COULD work” or “This was true for me and MAYBE it’ll be true for you too” or “This worked ONCE, perhaps it can work again for me and others”… but this is the kind of thing I would love to see more.
It’s language of humility not arrogance, suggestion not solution. Lately I have been reflecting deeply on my spiritual, mental and physical wellness and decided to take action and commence a personal journey toward better wellness in my life.
I am happy to share my thoughts, ideas and experiences, but they are the result of my own personal journey. Whilst your journey and mine may share similarities, they will never be identical. Perhaps you’ll walk a trail I’ve walked before and I can offer some guidance. Maybe our journeys will intersect briefly and I can share what I’ve discovered and learned. Or maybe we will just want to travel together for a little while.
I think I’ll always need people to help, inspire and motivate me as I walk a path toward better wellness and hopefully I can be those things for others. But by and by, the road forks and traveling companions part ways on their journey.
Let’s start a conversation
I’ve shared my thoughts, I’d like to hear yours too. Be sure to leave a comment.
Just so you know…
What I’m sharing are my own opinions, thoughts and experiences. What has worked or is true for me may not be so for you. All advice or opinion, even from ‘experts’, should be taken with a pinch of salt because there really is no substitute for the difficult challenge of thinking and discovering truth and our own answers. One size never fits all and there are no silver bullets. So take what resonates and works for you and disregard the rest. But please join me in continued reading, listening, discovering, and above all, thinking for ourselves.
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We don’t have to vote for him or agree with him, but we are commanded to love him. Let’s change the conversation and spread more positive messages.