Confusion is a Powerful Tool

To gain greater clarity, first immerse yourself in complete and utter confusion

I had four items in my cart on a shopping app for the past one week. Somehow, I was unable to hit the ‘proceed to buy’, because I was just not convinced about them being good decisions.

Firstly, all shopping apps are full of the same product available at different prices by different brands, and then with different ratings, and each with conflicting reviews…

One person says, ‘It’s an excellent product, best quality, worth the price…’ Another says, ‘It’s light-weight, not durable…waste of money.’ And, still another says, ‘If I didn’t need it urgently, I wouldn’t have bought it.’

Diverse product ranges and reviews leave a buyer utterly confused!

The only thing going on in your mind is —Am I wasting my time and money?

But, more importantly, it also highlights how one misses the real-world shopping experience… In pre-Corona times, you simply went to your trusted vendor, got his recommendations, bargained a little, and came out knowing he had your best interests at heart.

I don’t know if it’s just the novel virus that has accelerated confusion, or, the fact that the more isolated and atmanirbhar (self-reliant) we are expected to become, the more pressurised we feel in small everyday matters… Because, we simply don’t know how supported we are in the external environment!

This temporary isolation/hibernation/quarantining (whatever you wish to call it) will actually make us more weary of the outside world, once we do decide to step out… That’s the scary part —

The world was already full of distrust, and, now post Corona, the feeling will only get heightened.

Coming back to my shopping purchase on the app… Finally, one morning, I hit ‘proceed to buy’ on two of the four items. I saved the rest for later, for a time when I was more convinced about the purchases… The last thing I want in Coronavirus times are any more unpleasant surprises!

Shopping is probably the least important on the scale of confusion. Several more crucial areas of our lives are filled with confusion. These days, even stepping out or not is an area of confusion...

We carefully weigh the risks of everything we do and don’t do.

But, how do we wade out of those waves of confusion when they overtake us?

Simple. Immerse yourself in it.

Like any other state of being, confusion too has to be completely felt before you let go of it. Confusion also aids your growth, and gives you the full experience of being human...

Only when you are confused will you seek answers and clarity.

In that seeking, you will find the answers that work for you — not for anyone else or everyone else, but only for you.

The ability to surrender and stay with that confusion for awhile also prevents hasty decisions and reactions… Most compulsive behaviour emerges from the inability to be at peace with confusion — to keep doing something, whether it works or not.

Don’t deny yourself the luxury of confusion, and the consequent stillness that emerges from it.

Confusion is like getting enveloped by a white fog, where you can see nothing ahead of you, even a few metres away… But, when the fog lifts, the picture is complete, every small detail of it.

If you had moved, you may have fallen and hurt yourself, because you didn’t see a small pebble or object in front of you.

So, stay still in that fog, stay present in your confusion, and when that confusion lifts, you will be amazed by the clarity in your heart and mind…

Ultimately, you will gain the conviction to move purposefully and consciously, without any compulsions, but a firm belief in the act and its consequences.

Yes, we are solely responsible for our decisions and indecisions, for our actions and inactions — atmanirbhar in that sense — but we are also interconnected in the giant web of the world (pun intended), so know that you are not alone in the surrender and confusion…

And, if you still feel cheated after you make a purchase, simply cancel your order or return it within ten days of purchase!

No decision is too big to reverse, the key is knowing when to make that decision, and when to stay still…and knowing that that decision too will come to you in due time!

Stay in confusion, stay in faith, and stay protected from anything that threatens to take away your peace of mind…

The world may seem like it’s in pieces, but we are only being pieced together, one day at a time. The fog around us will soon clear, and we’ll have a brighter world once this is behind us… Be sure of that!

If you liked the blog, do share with friends and family… Let’s together wade through confusion with ease! And to read similar blogs, follow Pink Pinjra for more.