Let me think about it
(Pandemic Diary - day 96)
From my journal: 2 June 2020 (Tuesday)
If I tell you something of any consequence, and I haven’t run with it and written about it, then you should doubt the legitimacy of what I’ve said. It hasn’t been properly processed.
There are different ways of figuring things out.
Some people say “let me think about it”. Others want to sleep on it, sit with it, pray about it. My own process has two steps: I run with it, and then I write about it.
Fact: I don’t reliably know what I think about a thing until I’ve run with it and then written about, and I won’t trust myself until I do. The writing part is mandatory. The running is supplemental, but the writing is more likely to lead me to clarity (“one fine moment of intuition and clarity”) if I do both.
It’s often iterative, with alternating modalities feeding the evolution of my ideas. And it shouldn’t be forced — it’s not nearly as effective if I begin with intent.
Or… the only intent that consistently produces results is the intent to listen.
As that listening becomes a habit, my reception improves. I hear more, and the things I hear make more sense.