Clarity. I’ve long said that “Vague thoughts cannot motivate specific behavior.” The point is not of course that vague thoughts WILL motivate vague behavior, since there’s no such thing. All behavior is specific. The point is that when we’re vague about our hopes and dreams for the future, our subconscious minds can’t guide us into what needs to be done now and next to move us in the right direction. Vagueness offers no precise advice.
But we all have times when we’re confused and our thoughts are really vague about what exactly we want or need for the future. And that’s natural. Confusion can lead to clarity. Vagueness can give way to vividness, but only if we act both patiently and persistently to make that happen.
First, be patient with yourself. Getting clarity on something isn’t always like flipping on a light switch and gaining instant illumination for your next step. it’s more often like slowly moving a dimmer switch in the right direction, and benefiting as the light comes up to a certain level. Patience and persistence are both important. We need to take action to gain clarity but clarity isn’t always easy or instant.
I like to take out a blank sheet of paper and just do some relaxed free form thinking about possibilities for what comes next. I just write down whatever comes to mind. I try to be creative. And some of those possibilities may sparkle or glow and catch my attention more than others. Then it may be time for listing some pros and cons. These are all active efforts to gain clarity. And often, talking with a friend can help.
I did a version of all this when I was a professor at Notre Dame long ago and was thinking about the possibility of leaving that wonderful place to do something very different as a philosopher. I thought. I pondered. I brainstormed and made lists. And one day on a speaking trip I went for a walk on the edge of the desert in Arizona. And as the sun rose in the sky, my clarity rose with it. I decided to resign my position at Notre Dame and become an independent philosopher. On the long walk back to the hotel where I was staying, I pondered all the implications, and fought with some minor doubts. I got back to my room, and sat on the end of the bed, and flipped on the TV. The movie Rudy was just coming on HBO, the film about a young man with modest athletic talents who dreamed of one day being on the Notre Dame football team. He had a growing clarity about how to realize his seemingly impossible dream. And he was both patient and persistent. But he never could have imagined exactly what was to happen and how getting on the field his senior year at the end of one game and making one tackle would take him to stardom. I knew Rudy. And seeing that movie come on right after I had gained my own clarity made me smile and feel that I was doing the right thing. For both me and Rudy, Notre Dame had prepared us for what was to come next. Just like something in your life can prepare you for your next.
Thanks to the great Sam Horn for inviting me to speak on this last night for her wonderful podcast/Zoom call, "Clarity Matters." Come philosophize with me on any topic any time at www.TomVMorris.com!
