“Knowledge is power” in the importance of understanding the world and the reality around us cannot be overstated. Yet, at the same time, the belief that we have to have all the answers can keep us ignorant and unknowing, stuck in a rut that locks us into the past and keeps us from growth. On the other hand, when confronted, saying, “I don’t know” connotes at once humility and self-confidence. It opens us up to new information that can, paradoxically, make us more knowledgeable.
This mental posture of “I don’t know” creates a vacuum, which can allow facts and circumstances to fill our minds up with precious data. Likewise, the physical posture of “I don’t know” can create a vacuum. Shrugging the shoulders acts like a pump, supporting the elimination of waste and the removal of carbon dioxide out of the lungs. The resulting emptiness facilitates oxygenation on the subsequent inhale and can improve breathing, strengthen the respiratory system and help prevent pneumonia, flus and pulmonary disease.
If you like, try this breathing exercise. Gently, but powerfully, shrug your shoulders up in the “I don’t know” position and at the same time fill your lungs with air. Then fully empty them as you exhale and drop your shoulders. Silently say the words “I don’t know”. Do this regularly, maybe 10 to 20 times a day and the recognition and repetition of “I don’t know” will make it easier to fill your mind with new knowledge and your lungs with oxygen, improving both mental and physical health and well-being.
