Don’t Try to Remember

A post on Threads caught my attention this week. It spoke to me about a common form of stuckness that we may overlook.

It felt like a good example of the insidious reach of toxic productivity. In this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast, I attempt to explain why…

https://youtu.be/nBvFoHil9qM

Don’t Try To Remember

In his language-learning audio courses, Michel Thomas usually spoke with two participants. Every so often, he would respond to them by saying, “stop trying to remember”. His methodology rested on the assumption that if you’re stressed and putting effort into conscious memorising, you sabotage your ability to learn. When he heard them racking their brains for the answer, he told them to stop.

The same happens in creativity.

We get inspired when we’re not trying to remember. When we’re not forcing dots to connect. Like in the shower, swimming pool, or sauna. Yes, for me it often accompanies being wet and somewhat nude. Don’t ask me why.

Inspiration often strikes when we’re busy looking elsewhere.

But I don’t believe it’s a bolt from the blue. One of the reasons it appears to arrive in meditation or in the shower, is because we engage with a stillness that allows us to hear.

And as such, it’s not a scarce resource. There is always something speaking. Waiting to be noticed.

But sometimes, we need to stop trying to remember. Stop trying to control. Stop trying to turn it into something useful, productive, or profitable.