I Don’t Know {Mantra 6}
I know, I know. We like to KNOW things. (And as an Enneagram 5, I really like to know things.) It makes us feel safe and smart.
But there’s more that we don’t know than we do know.
So we might as well get used to saying this, and saying it a lot:
I don’t know.
Sometimes admitting we don’t know is what leads us to knowing.
When we’re uncertain, we’re more teachable, more tolerant, and more adaptable. In our uncertainty, we give God something to work with.
In the pause, in the lingering space between answers, it’s quiet.
And in the quiet, away from the chaos, untethered from the chain of certainty, we can better follow God’s guidance.
Maybe we still won’t know for awhile.
But unless we admit we don’t know, we may never know.
How often do you say, I don’t know? Share in the comments.
Read More:
- How Much Do We Need to Know?
- Don’t Rush to the Answer – Linger in the Pause
- Repeat After Me: “I don’t know!”—Because Nobody Knows It All About COVID-19
You are on Day #6 of the series: Find Your Mantra {28 Daily Mantras}
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“Bad things happen to everyone. So do good things” {Mantra 5}
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“Empathize with the hurt” {Mantra 7}
There is something freeing about being able to say “I don’t know.” After all, God didn’t create us to understand everything, but to have faith that all will be well.
Blessings, Lisa!
It’s a ghost thing to learn to say. Then help the other person find an answer!
Lol. Me and my autocorrect. 🙂
A good thing…
It is a humbling thing to say, but necessary if we want to grow and learn in an area where we really don’t know anything.
So much truth in this statement. Thank you!
When we’re uncertain, we’re more teachable, more tolerant, and more adaptable. In our uncertainty, we give God something to work with.
I used to think when I realized “I don’t know” – that I was behind! Then I’d start kicking myself because, well, “I should have known.” Until God helped me realize that when I realize “I don’t know” – that’s just when class is starting! I’m right on time! It’s been liberating!
When I was in nursing school there was an entire class devoted to defining professionalism. What it boiled down to was the ability to say, “I don’t know.” I’ve always remembered that.
I’ve often wondered why it seems so hard to say “I don’t know” but I guess it boils down to pride. And yet nobody likes a know-it-all and none of us do know it all anyway! Being able to admit that I don’t know is something I’ve been working on for most of my life, I think!
Oh, this one is one I struggle with! I like knowing (and sharing my knowledge). But you’re so right. When we think we know it all, we don’t have a teachable spirit.