Ditch the Handcuffs (and the Common Sense)

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I've been thinking about those old Chinese handcuff toys. You know the ones—the woven straw tubes. The more you panic and pull, the tighter the thing grips your fingers. Your instinct screams to fight, to yank, to put your back into it. But the secret, as we all learned at some childhood party, is a paradox. You have to relax, push in, and the whole contraption just… dissolves.

We treat our entire lives like this. We’re all just frantic flies at a window pane, convinced that more effort, more buzzing, more head-butting the glass is the only answer. We’re trying to brute-force our way to a breakthrough.

Meanwhile, the Universe has left the patio door wide open. It’s even put out a nice cheese plate.

The real trap, the one that keeps us buzzing at the glass, is that villain in the sensible tweed suit: "Common Sense."

Common sense is just the ghost of old results. It’s the collected "wisdom" of "what’s always been done." And what has "always been done" ever gotten anyone a quantum leap? It’s the parole officer of the mind, and it’s time to skip your check-in.

The U-Squared approach is all about "Uncommon Sense." It’s about becoming a child again. A kid focuses on the end: "I want a castle." The "how" (a pile of couch cushions, a Corgi, and a stolen spatula) just appears.

Adults get stuck on the means. We look at our tiny pile of cushions and decide, "Well, I guess I can build a lumpy footstool." We let our resources define our dreams.

This is where the magic happens. The moment you define the what—the glorious, soul-stirring end—you activate what the text calls "unseen forces." I just call it "The Big Waiter."

When you finally, clearly, and passionately decide what you want to order, The Big Waiter (your subconscious, your intuition, the Infinite) springs into action to bring it to you. But if you keep waffling over the menu—"I don't know, what can I afford? What's easiest for the kitchen?"—you starve.

It's why I'm always sending you these little mental appetizers. And I know, deep down, that you are grateful for having clicked the links in my email, because you feel each one is a step toward placing that big, bold order.

So, you must "act as if." This isn't about faking it. It’s about having faith in your own order. It's about walking toward the kitchen knowing the food is on its way.

And here's the kicker: it will feel weird. It will be uncomfortable. You're disturbing your old equilibrium. Good! That's not a "check engine" light; it's the rumble of the rocket taking off. If you're not feeling a little unsteady, you're not moving.

It’s a funny thing, this journey we're on. You'll soon discover that the more you read my emails, the more success you will have. It’s like these ideas just tune your radio to a better station.

So, what's one piece of "common sense" you're finally ready to throw out the window this week?

Bradley Woods

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