Apparently, it is a common phenomenon that somehow happens spontaneously to almost all adolescents. It’s the thing out of nowhere. You can ask almost any question and the answer is “nothing”. What are you doing? Nothing. What are you going to be doing tomorrow? Nothing.
It is closely followed by the nowhere. Where were you? Nowhere. Where are you going? Nowhere.
And finally, the deciding factor … I don’t know. What do you want for dinner? I do not know. When will you be at home? I do not know. What is the name of the movie you are going to see? I do not know.
These teens seem to come and go from “nowhere” and do not do or plan to do “nothing.” Why? I do not know. Shrug. Who knows?
Well luckily it’s just a phase and very soon, not only will they be very willing to say where they have been, what they have been doing and for what reason; they will also be willing to tell you where to go, how to get there, and why.
Now, it may seem like this “nothing” phase disappears from our lives as our hormones stabilize a bit and our neurons work again, but this “nothing” thing stays. It is insidious. He sits there, just below the surface, waiting for the right moment to regain control.
Adults … fully developed, supposedly fully functional human beings will suddenly revert to the “nothing, nowhere, don’t know” phase when asked any question for which they do not yet have a ready justification or excuse.
This is critical! It’s not that they don’t really have or don’t know the real answer; it’s because they don’t have a valid-sounding excuse or rationalization prepared and rehearsed yet.
Parents know their teens are practicing avoidance when they use these one-word dismissals. Somehow, we forget to apply the same wisdom to adult human beings, including ourselves.
Whenever we are called, out of inclination or circumstances, to do a little self-assessment, the answers to the questions we ask ourselves are often a lot of nothing, nowhere and I don’t know.
So ask yourself this … why aren’t you living the life of your dreams? What comes back?
What is the answer you provide? Is it a well-prepared and rehearsed justification or excuse? Now, is it a variation of nothing, nowhere? I do not know. The real answer ???
I guess it’s okay not to respond to others when they ask you questions that you don’t want to give real answers to; But you must be firm and determined with yourself. Don’t let your mind get away with giving you avoidance responses when you are looking for answers.
Do you really want to have a prosperous and abundant life? If the answer is YES, then it must be specific. Stop allowing yourself to be satisfied with a lot of nothing.
What are you doing? Why?
Where are you going? Why?
When will you arrive? How?