CONQUERING DOUBT WITH KNOWLEDGE

Image: Michèle Lamy (by Szilveszter Makó)

We continue to find so many gems of knowledge in the talk by motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, titled “The 10 Powers to Be Great”—this week we’re diving into the fourth power on his list: expertise.

Seeing as you somehow stumbled upon the Benshen.co newsletter, it’s safe to say that this is a crowd that likes to learn (about themselves, about their patterns, about the bigger life questions) and according to Jim, that’s exactly where the magic happens. We become a “powerful variable” when we strive to expand our world through knowledge. Even the great Bob Proctor once said, “the opposite of doubt is knowledge,” meaning that doubt - about ourselves, our lives, our future - can be softened when we fill our cups of knowledge, thus building confidence in ourselves and the world around us. That knowledge can be about our careers, allowing ourselves to become indispensable because we have invested in our own growth, becoming experts in the field. Or the knowledge can be about the Laws of the Universe, for when we know how things really work, we have more confidence in ourselves and our ability to excel.

In this podcast, Jim talks about tapping into our limitless potential when we “settle for nothing less than an outstanding performance.” Note, this doesn't mean going harder or doing more and burning ourselves out. What this does mean is letting go of the distractions and the ways we hold ourselves back so we have the time and energy to take the course we've been wanting to, sign up for that class we've been eyeing, or enroll in that seminar that will give us even more juicy tools to share with the world. The key here is that whatever we choose to do we give it our all - this builds immense inner confidence that overflows into all areas of our lives.

Oftentimes, we hold ourselves back from our potential by sticking to what we think we know and staying in the comfort zone. This resistance for change through expansion and knowledge ends up being one of the biggest roadblocks to getting what we ACTUALLY want and most of the time, we stay there out of fear - fear of failure, of trying something new, of not being good enough.

But what this is really about is about discovering the practices and the processes that sharpen our curiosities for life. When we’re actually enjoying building skills, that’s when we grow in confidence and cultivate personal power beyond our wildest imagination. The limits for ourselves fall away. It’s not about “grinding” and being perfect, but embracing the role as student of life so we can consistently fill our own cup of inspiration along the way to getting everything we want.

In this newsletter, we explore what it really means to find the flow through building your own completely unique skillset and toolbox. No one on this planet will learn the way you do, or be fascinated with the same topics the way you are. That is where things get really exciting. The dynamic polarity of connecting pleasure to discipline is when we light up and attract what it is we want most. But it starts by putting in the effort to be a novice, to try the thing that feels foreign to us, and saying yes when we’re unsure about the outcome. Are you ready? Let's go…

"Most people are not going after what they want. Even some of the most serious goal seekers and goal setters, they're going after what they think they can get."

— BOB PROCTOR

Image: Nicolas Bion - Nécessaire de mathématiques

EXERCISE:
BUILD YOUR CURIOSITY MUSCLE

Curiosity is innate within us but we often put it on a shelf when we’re stuck in habits or old thought patterns. Even still, we might WANT to try something new but feel stuck by the idea that we’re going to be bad at it when we start or feel like we're too late in the game or just good old “what's the point?" And that might feel discouraging. We often want more from our lives but we get stuck in our patterns and grooves without making space to expand. But really, when we allow ourselves to become curious again, inspired and excited by life rather than held back by fears and doubts and “I'll do it tomorrow”, this is when doors start flying open… Before diving into this journal prompt, here's a few quotes by one of our favorites, Seth Godin, to get your mind spinning on making some big but INSPIRING moves forward…

“DOING WHAT YOU’VE BEEN DOING IS GOING TO GET YOU WHAT YOU’VE BEEN GETTING.”

“YOU DON’T NEED MORE TIME IN YOUR DAY. YOU NEED TO DECIDE.”

“THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF REMARKABLE IDEAS, WHAT’S MISSING IS THE WILL TO EXECUTE THEM.”

And now it's your turn - fill the tub, light some candles (safely!) and get that journal out…

What is one subject or activity that piques my interest right now?

What’s been holding me back from taking that leap? (Look at patterns here: fear, procrastination, etc.)

What would I gain if I did it?

What would make learning this exciting and compelling, and feel like play as I explore this new thing?

Who can I look to for inspiration in this realm when I feel like giving up? (List three people!)

Image: Jacques Marie Mage, Dealan Champagne for Hawks & Sparrows

“Mastery is a moment in time when you are focused upon something in complete alignment with who you are. Because that means you are connected to infinite intelligence, and you are in the receptive mode of whatever is available on that subject. You define how much mastery you’re ready to receive by the beliefs that you hold—is there a lid to your mastery?“

— ABRAHAM HICKS