Pearls From Pirsig

“I don’t know why I’m so tired.”
“I can’t figure out why I can’t lose weight.”
“It’s strange, my back hurts for some reason.”
“I’m working out all the time, why don’t I get stronger/faster/leaner?”
“I’m having a hard time sleeping, I just don’t get it.”

How many times have you or someone you know said something like this? I say it myself or hear it almost on a daily basis. So often we are confused by life and by our bodies in particular. So often the mystery of life and biology is just plain tricky. So often things just don’t make sense. So often, with a little critical thinking, we can figure out why those things don’t make sense.

What Is “Sense?”
A while back I read a fascinating book, Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance that was full of thought provoking passages. One of my favorites dealt with things not making sense…

New forms of thinking need to challenge new situations. Causes are never evident during the actual time. Looking back we can see it though. Things don’t make sense? Then what’s wrong is the “Sense” and not the “Things”. Our way of approaching it or looking at it needs to change. It will make sense one day, under new understanding but today our old understanding isn’t the right lens to look through. We need new glasses or a different vantage point.

You name the mystery in life and I say it makes sense. Whether it’s weight loss, a headache, kids misbehaving, a knee that hurts, memory loss, sugar cravings or fatigue. There is a reason everything happens. If you are having a hard time losing weight and can’t figure out why, it’s not a mystery, it’s happening for a reason. It doesn’t make sense because you can’t (or aren’t) looking at it through the right lens. If you think about it well enough, take a step back or wait for more information to come in, nearly everything in life makes sense.

No one has it all figured out. We never will and I certainly don’t. But when confronted with a mystery, we can always pursue other vantage points. We can always look through a different lens. We can always keep looking for clues. We can always remember there is a reason and maybe our “sense” is what’s a bit off.

There is always a reason, whether we can see it easily or not. Don’t give up hope or let frustration deter you. The worst thing you can do is think your life is full of mystery. Then you are a victim of chance. Be a detective and look for clues. They are there if you keep looking. Figuring out those things that don’t make sense is one of the most empowering experiences you can ever have.

Thanks for reading, have a great detective day!

P.S.
You’re Tired: It Makes Sense
Is there anything going on in your life?
Any stress or activity?
Have you been sleeping with the sun the last three days?
Has your nutrition been good the last week?
Have you been eating enough?
Anything different happen the last few days?
How has your activity level been?
Are your hormones in check?
Any immune system activity?
Have any kids?

The list of possibilities is endless. You’re likely tired from a number of factors, but there are reasons if you think about it. It shouldn’t be a mystery.