On the surface, being right seems like, well, the right thing to do, the right thing to focus on, the right thing to strive for. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. As a reformed Right-Fighter, I can share that there is never really any lasting satisfaction when you’re right – am I right?
In fact, I can practically guarantee that in the pursuit of being right there is a lot that you may have missed out on.
A similar side to this coin is not being wrong. Oh, the energy, focus, and attention you have to give and relentlessly do so to defend and protect yourself is exhausting, unhelpful and, in reality, close-minded. The pursuit of “being right” and its twin “not being wrong” is just an act of contraction. It’s a pursuit of safety, an illusion of security and control that once achieved can feel very hollow.
Creativity in all its forms enriches our lives, our experiences, our connections. Pure potential and possibility pulse with an energy so divine we want in. These are moments of expansion, being present to what may be. The unknown, whilst risking and scary, can take us to places we could never have gone on our own – opening ourselves to the interesting, the fresh, the new, can fuel us in ways being right will never do.
Shoshin means “Beginners Mind”, a Zen Buddhist term that when adopted helps us to stay open and curious no matter how experienced we actually are… it shifts the focus away from our fear of being wrong to the fascination of what we could uncover… “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.” (Shunryu Suzuki)
A little self-exploration can also help us, when we feel the strong desire to prove our rightness, or to control and manipulate away from being wrong. These are clues that can uncover what’s really going on, deepening our connection to self and letting us try out new ways of being.
If we are after a rich, juicy, dynamic life that is driven by creativity and all its wonderful gifts then our ability to not worry whether we are right or wrong is a skill to cultivate.
Love,
Jo x