I welcome inspiration wherever it comes from. Today it was Schrödinger’s Cat, a theory explained wonderfully in the television series, The Big Bang Theory.
In the thought experiment, a hypothetical cat may be considered simultaneously both alive and dead as a result of being linked to a random subatomic event that may or may not occur. We only know the actual state of the cat when we open the box. In the sitcom, it’s used as an analogue to a potential relationship prior to the first date. Penny is told that her date could be considered to be a superposition of two mutually contradictory states (good and bad) until the box is opened, giving her incentive to proceed.
Well, I don’t know much about quantum mechanics so I won’t go into explaining the mystery of simultaneous possibilities, but I do know that I would be extremely curious if the cat in that box is alive or dead. As it would be not my pet and so I would have no emotional connections to it, I would open the box in a second to see what it is inside, just for the fun of it.
But what if it were my cat?
Would I still be rushing to find out about the possible death of my beloved pet? I imagine I wouldn’t. Would I open it in a heartbeat if I knew for sure he’s alive? You bet!
Then again … I might even leave the box untouched and pretend the cat isn’t even inside.
What if there are more serious things in the box, like the answer if I have a terminal illness or not? Or if my husband is cheating on me? What if I find true love inside? What if I could find out that there are better ways to make a living and earn money that I am doing now? What if I would find out that there isn’t? What if …
Our lives are filled with boxes which carry multiple possibilities in them. We choose which one we open and which one we leave untouched.
Opening the box gives us certainty. Whether it’s good news or bad news, when we open the box, we find a fact. The cat is either dead or alive and we must deal with it.
Keeping the box closed gives us a false sense of stability. The mystery around not knowing can gives us the illusion of hope, perhaps even a blissful state of ignorance.
This got me thinking how many times do we avoid at all costs opening a box because we are afraid to find out what is inside?! How many times do we postpone our dreams so we don’t have to act on them today?! Until they are pinned in the future, there is hope that we will succeed and no threat of failure. Act on them today and we must face the outcome. Whatever that will be, it will bring change and kick us out of our comfort zone. Now who would want that, right?
Self-knowledge begins with acknowledging the boxes, the infinite possibilities in them and the courage to start opening them. Sometimes it’s the exercise of imagining the possible outcomes, sometimes it’s the challenging work of facing the facts and dealing with them.
Hiring a coach can be a good option to have support while doing all that.
So here is my challenge to you: are you ready find out if your cat is alive or not?
Contact me for your first free session and we can find out together.
