The road to understanding

The road to understanding is difficult and long but is paved with many interesting and beautiful things.  There are things that are going to whet your appetite, things that are going to distract you, things that frustrate you, things that will lead you up some cul-de-sacs and things that will lead you to true enlightenment.

The road to understanding isn’t signposted, there is not a T junction somewhere which says left to Billericay and right to understanding, there is no map to tell you how to get there, there is no X that marks the spot or timetable to tell you which train to take and there is no wardrobe with a secret door at the back.  I can’t find it on Google maps.

But the road to understanding is readily accessible.  Anyone can get on it if they so desire, you only need the key to unlock the way in.  And where can you find this key?  Well, that’s easy as it is hidden in plain sight.  You already have it somewhere about your person: in your head; in your heart; or in your leg, who knows where but it is there and it is up to you to find it.

To take the first step, to lift the veil from in front of your eyes it is only necessary to understand that you don’t understand.  There is always more beyond your comprehension to be discovered.

Understanding is a journey and not a destination.  If you are inquisitive, that is you are a human, than you can look forward to a very enjoyable and satisfying expedition as long as you don’t expect ever to arrive fully.

This though is captured in the Taoist saying – “The journey is the reward” which was later paraphrased by Robert Louis Stevenson from quotation by Virginibus Puerisque (in1881) – “Little do ye know your own blessedness; for to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true success is to labour.”

From time to time I have a conversation with members of my team who ask if I think we’ll ever get there. My reply is that if they ever tell me that they have finished then it is time for them to go.  Anyone who thinks that they will reach an end has already given up on the journey.  It is far better to recognise that there is always something beyond the horizon and settle down to enjoy the ride.