Hi there,
Earlier, I shared about the serotinous pinecone, about how some seeds only open in fire.
I’ve been sitting with that image because it points to something subtle.
We tend to assume that if something isn’t happening, it’s because we’re not doing enough.
If clarity hasn’t arrived, we need to think harder.
If a decision isn’t clear, we need more information.
If progress isn’t happening, we need more effort.
But the pinecone suggests something different:
The seed doesn’t become available through more effort.
It becomes available when conditions allow it to open.
That distinction matters.
Because most of us are trained to increase effort when something isn’t working.
To think harder.
Work longer.
Push further.
And that instinct isn’t wrong.
Effort works.
It builds companies.
It advances careers.
It gets things done.
It’s one of our most reliable tools.
But because it works so well, it can quietly become the default response to every kind of problem.
Even the ones it wasn’t designed for.
Here’s an example:
Have you ever tried to remember a name?
It’s on the tip of your tongue.
You know you know it. It was just there a moment ago.
So you reach harder for it.
Focus more.
Push.
And the more you do, the further it slips away.
Then later, when you’re not trying at all, it suddenly comes back.
Nothing new was added.
We simply stopped getting in the way.
***
I’ve often wondered how often this shows up in our lives.
Not just with memory.
But with clarity. Direction. Next steps.
Things we assume will be resolved through more effort.
When in fact, they may not be.
So here’s a question for you:
What if the issue isn’t that you’re not doing enough?
What if it’s that you’re using a strategy that has served you exceptionally well… but doesn’t quite fit what you’re trying to access now?
What made you successful can quietly become what limits you next.
On Friday, I’ll share something that might help from a different angle.
More soon,
Tiffany
What a great example of the task and default networks in action.
Love this!