"I give up. I've tried everything."

We've all been there and felt this. At a deadlock. Lost for what to do. Beaten by whatever situation we are facing - a feeling that hits us when we've exhausted all our options.

An ancient principle from Nichiren Daishonin, a 13th-century Buddhist monk, offers a path through this deadlock.

Three Thousand Realms In A Single Moment

The principle of Ichinen Sanzen teaches that at each moment we have 3,000 possibilities. Every moment in our lives holds countless possibilities for change.

Putting this in context, if you tried all of these possibilities, each attempt being just 10 minutes, it would take you 21 days (without sleep) to complete.

So any time I fall into "shut-down" mode I remind myself I'm not even 1% of the way through these 3000 possibilities.

No Time For Deadlock

Knowing there are countless other opportunities keeps me from falling into inaction.

Focus swiftly moves from the latest attempt to what I can do next. Instead of the heaviness of stalemate I'm filled with the thrill of "Where to next?" I know I'm one step closer to discovery.

Each effort holds a lesson we carry forward, inching closer to discovery.