Max Roser, creator of Our World in Data, highlights three undeniable ideas: the world is awful, it’s much better, and it can improve further. These truths coexist as a paradox, challenging us to hold conflicting ideas at once. This mindset is crucial for navigating today’s complex world.

This paradox brings me to something I’ve been reflecting on: the overwhelming flood of advice. Books, seminars, podcasts, self-help gurus, motivational speakers, all claim to hold the key to unlocking our potential. It's a never-ending stream of suggestions, each claiming to be the solution to our problems. But here’s the thing: we already know most of it. We’ve read the books, heard the speeches, and attended the seminars. So, why does something still feel amiss?

The problem may not be a lack of advice, but our reluctance to listen to what we already know. We’re flooded with suggestions, but have we taken time to reflect on what we’ve absorbed? We understand the complexities of life. We know things could be easier. We recognise that change is possible, and we’re doing our best. Yet, we still feel uncertain, overwhelmed, even paralysed by the volume of advice telling us what to do next.

So, what if the solution isn’t more advice? What if we stopped seeking answers and instead reflected on what we already understand? What if we gave ourselves permission to trust our intuition and the wisdom we’ve accumulated?

I find myself rumbling with paradox. Here I am, offering you tools in The Through Line. Advice versus permission. There's the paradox. At its core, I wrote this book to give myself the permission. To listen. To build. To contribute. I hope it gives you permission too. See it is an offering. A permission slip. To do what you feel is right to you. It’s about integration. It’s about combining what we know with the new insights that arise when we truly listen to ourselves. Learning and knowing can coexist in an empowering, not overwhelming, way.

This paradox doesn’t mean rejecting advice. It means choosing what to integrate, reflect on, and trust. Real change comes not from collecting more advice, but from pausing, reflecting, and applying what we’ve already learned.

What if the most transformative thing we can do isn’t chase after more answers, but simply give ourselves permission to listen, reflect, and trust our own wisdom? In embracing the paradox, we might find the clarity we’ve been seeking all along.