Confusion Isn’t the Problem — It’s the Turning Point That’s Asking to Be Seen
You’re Not Lost — You’re on the Edge of Seeing
There are moments on this path when something stirs inside us.
A feeling.
A phrase.
A question.
A reflection.
It touches something deep… but doesn’t immediately make sense.
Recently, I encountered this passage from The Way of Mastery:
“As long as you deny the world, you cannot be set free.”
These words were not new to me.
They aligned with my life’s practice and everything I teach.
And yet—this time, something was different.
I didn’t fully understand them.
Not in the way I usually do.
The Sacred Pause Before the Revelation
So I did something I’ve learned to trust:
I let the not-knowing breathe.
I didn’t rush to interpret.
I simply allowed the confusion to be there—without forcing it into clarity.
And in that pause, something deeper began to reveal itself.
Confusion Is Not the Obstacle. It’s the Mirror.
Denying the world doesn’t liberate us—it delays transformation.
We sometimes mistake unlearning for avoidance.
We think transcendence means pretending this world doesn’t matter.
We bypass, hoping to skip discomfort and leap straight into peace.
But truth doesn’t ask us to look away.
It asks us to look closer.
To see the world not as a burden but as a mirror—
one that reflects what we believe… and, if we’re willing, what is actually true.
The “Problem” Isn’t Confusion—It’s Refusal to See
In both The Way of Mastery and the path of unlearning I teach,
confusion isn’t the enemy.
The real challenge is when we turn away from what life is showing us.
That’s why this idea matters:
Confusion isn’t the problem—it’s the turning point that’s asking to be seen.
It marks a moment of potential.
A choice point.
Where old stories crumble and something new begins to whisper.
But that “something new” won’t force its way in.
It waits.
It waits for our willingness.
It waits for our curiosity.
Confusion Is Sacred When We See the Choice It Offers
Every moment of confusion is also a moment of free will.
We can:
Stay in the swirl of doubt.
Circle the same mental loops.
Try to logic our way back to safety.
Or...
We can pause.
We can soften.
We can ask:
“What if this isn’t a problem to solve, but a doorway I’m being asked to walk through?”
What the Path of Unlearning Really Asks of Us
Unlearning isn’t about gaining new knowledge.
It’s about letting go of what no longer serves.
Often, the feeling of confusion shows up right as one identity falls away
and another truth begins to rise.
We mistake that feeling for danger.
But it’s actually the signal of possibility.
This Isn’t Theory. It’s Lived.
Every spiritual tradition I’ve studied says the same thing:
In A Course in Miracles, it’s choosing between the voice of the ego and the voice of the Holy Spirit.
In Jungian psychology, it’s the integration of the shadow.
In my own life, it’s been the doorway I’ve crossed again and again—
sometimes trembling,
sometimes wailing,
sometimes resisting,
sometimes in gratitude and deep peace.
Each time, confusion marked the invitation.
Not to be certain—
but to be willing to be shown.
Confusion Doesn’t Demand Clarity. It Invites Curiosity.
The moment you stop pretending you understand…
The moment you lay down your need to be right…
That’s when something sacred begins to unfold.
Because confusion isn’t chaos.
It’s a signal.
A sacred nudge.
It’s not saying “You’re lost.”
It’s whispering:
“You’re about to see something you’ve never seen before.”
A Practice: When Confusion Arises, Try This
Next time you feel confused, do this:
Pause.
Breathe.
Ask:
What if this isn’t a problem?
What if this is the turning point I’ve been praying for?
Then listen.
Not for the answer—
but for the opening.
Call to Presence
🌀 Reflection Prompt:
Where in your life is confusion showing up right now?
🌱 Micro-Practice:
Let it breathe for 24 hours. No fixing. No forcing. Just curiosity.
🔮 Next Step:
Consider journaling about what truth might be waiting to meet you there.
You’re Not Broken. You’re Breaking Open.
Confusion was never in the way.
It was always a way through.
You’re not lost.
You’re on the edge of seeing.
Further Spoken Word Reflections:
This spoken-word companion isn’t a reading of the written piece. It’s a reflection — a different doorway into the same truth.
I’ve found in conversations with others that what doesn’t quite land on the page sometimes lands more clearly in voice.
Maybe tone, maybe timing. Maybe it’s just the way words carry differently when spoken.
Either way, I offer this to you — as another way to connect.
This is not a reading of the original post.
It’s something uniquely its own — familiar, but freer.
🎧 Listen by using the link below.
https://theunlearning.substack.com/p/confusion-isnt-the-problem-its-the-752
Author Note:
This reflection is drawn from over two decades of personal transformation work, spiritual study, and supporting men and women through sacred confusion into aligned clarity.
Insight- Confusion isn't the problem obviously addresses confusion. However, what I point toward may be applied to many experiences.
Thanks Susan! Blessings!