Move to the Edge, Declare it Center

Chapter 2EXTERIOR PRACTICES: THE METHODS OF MOVE TO THE EDGE

The word edge connotes multiple, powerful meanings. It's the sharp end of a blade, an incisive quality, or the hint of discomfort with a person or experience. It's also a position furthest away from the center, an intersection of two boundaries, or the moment before “shit goes down.” I've noticed that edge also carries an emotional response. For some, the edge is scary and dangerous, a misstep away from falling off a cliff. For others, it's a thrilling, dopamine‐generating experience that can be clarifying and addicting. Edge can have all of those connotations, but the essence is that the boundary of knowledge, experience, and practice carries uncertainty. When “I don't know,” “I have no idea,” or “I don't think I can do this,” flashes across your brain, welcome to your edge. The challenge is not to react to the thrill or the danger, but to develop the skill to be still.

Being still creates the opportunity to open new vantage points. You stay long enough to intersect and exchange at the boundary of other people's experiences. You start to see different perspectives up close that are obscured from your center. Being still with the uncertainty long enough has a payoff – you make a conscious decision, not a reaction to the feeling itself. Ultimately, Move to the Edge is a verb – a series of actions fueled by intent, desire, ...