Everything is Figureoutable

Everything is Figureoutable Plot Summary

Introduction

Have you ever felt stuck, facing a seemingly insurmountable challenge? That moment when your heart sinks and your mind whispers, "I just can't figure this out." We've all been there. But what if that limiting thought is the very thing holding you back from breakthrough solutions and untapped potential? What if everything—yes, everything—in your life could be figured out with the right mindset and approach? This transformative philosophy isn't just about positive thinking; it's a practical, actionable discipline that can revolutionize how you approach every challenge in your life. When you truly believe that solutions exist and commit to finding them, you activate dormant problem-solving abilities within yourself. Throughout these pages, you'll discover how ordinary people have accomplished extraordinary feats simply by refusing to accept limitations. You'll learn specific strategies to overcome fear, eliminate excuses, and cultivate unstoppable determination that turns seeming impossibilities into achievable realities.

Chapter 1: Embrace Your Inner Strength

At the core of unlocking your potential lies a simple yet profound belief: everything is figureoutable. This isn't just a catchy phrase—it's a mental framework that transforms how you approach life's challenges. When you adopt this mindset, you're acknowledging that while problems may be complex, solutions exist and you have the capacity to discover them. Consider Marie Forleo's mother, a remarkable woman who embodied this philosophy. With limited resources but unlimited determination, she approached every household challenge with confidence. One day, young Marie returned from school to find her mother perched on the roof of their two-story house. Alarmed, she called out, "Mom! Is everything okay? What are you doing up there?" Her mother calmly explained that when she called a roofer about a leak, the quote seemed exorbitant. Finding leftover asphalt in the garage, she decided to fix it herself. Another time, Marie discovered her mother surrounded by tools and exposed pipes in the bathroom, retiling the floor to prevent mold from forming. What's most striking about these scenarios wasn't just her mother's practical skills but her unshakable attitude. When Marie asked how she knew how to do things she'd never done before, her mother replied matter-of-factly: "Don't be silly, Ree. Nothing in life is that complicated. You can do whatever you set your mind to if you just roll up your sleeves, get in there, and do it. Everything is figureoutable." This philosophy became the driving force in Marie's life, helping her navigate everything from abusive relationships to competitive work environments. It empowered her to build a multimillion-dollar business from scratch despite having no experience, connections, or formal business education. The "everything is figureoutable" mindset isn't about having all the answers upfront—it's about believing that answers exist and committing to finding them. To apply this principle in your own life, start by examining your language. When you catch yourself saying "I can't," recognize this as a signal to shift your thinking. Challenges aren't permanent roadblocks; they're invitations to find creative solutions. Begin with small problems—a broken appliance, a technical glitch—and deliberately apply the figureoutable mindset. As you experience success with minor issues, gradually apply the same approach to bigger challenges. Remember, the most powerful words in the universe are the ones you say to yourself. Make "everything is figureoutable" your personal mantra. Say it when you wake up, write it down, repeat it during difficult moments. With enough repetition, this belief will become embedded in your neural pathways, fundamentally changing how you respond to life's obstacles.

Chapter 2: Challenge Your Limiting Beliefs

Our beliefs shape our reality more profoundly than most of us realize. Every thought, action, and result in your life stems from what you believe to be true. Beliefs act like the operating system of your mind—they determine what you perceive as possible and influence every decision you make. Marie recalls a defining moment from her childhood when her parents were divorcing. Her mother, distraught after signing the papers, grabbed eight-year-old Marie by the shoulders and said, "Don't ever, ever, EVER let a man control your life. You need to make your own money. You need to CONTROL your own money." This emotionally charged experience formed powerful beliefs in Marie about money, security, and independence that influenced her decisions for years to come. These pivotal beliefs aren't formed in a vacuum. They come from multiple sources: our environment (family, culture, media), personal experiences, evidence we've gathered, examples we've observed, and our own envisioned possibilities. Once established, our brains work diligently to reinforce what we already believe through confirmation bias—we naturally look for and find evidence that supports our existing beliefs while ignoring information that challenges them. The groundbreaking work of Dr. Gail Matthews from Dominican University of California demonstrates the tangible power of beliefs. Her research shows you're 42 percent more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. This isn't magic—it's about clarity and commitment. When you articulate your beliefs and intentions clearly, your brain's reticular activating system (RAS) begins scanning your environment for opportunities and solutions aligned with those beliefs. To transform limiting beliefs, first recognize that all beliefs are a choice—and choices can be changed. Begin by identifying specific beliefs holding you back. Perhaps you believe you're "not creative enough," "too old to start something new," or "bad with money." Write these down, then challenge each one by asking, "What else could be true?" For every limiting belief, create an empowering alternative that serves you better. Practice becoming aware of your thought patterns. When you notice negative self-talk, consciously redirect it. Repeat empowering statements like "Everything is figureoutable" until they become your default thought pattern. Remember that neural networks strengthen with repetition—what you focus on expands. With consistent practice, your new, empowering beliefs will become as automatic as the limiting ones once were. Your beliefs determine your destiny. By consciously choosing to believe that everything is figureoutable, you're not denying life's challenges—you're approaching them with the confidence that solutions exist and you have the capacity to find them. This isn't about being unrealistic; it's about refusing to be constrained by artificial limitations.

Chapter 3: Take Action Despite Fear

Fear is perhaps the most misunderstood emotion in our quest for growth. Many people believe that successful individuals don't experience fear, or that they need to eliminate fear before taking action. Both assumptions are fundamentally flawed and prevent real progress. Marie shares a revealing personal story about her scooter accident in Sicily. While vacationing with her partner Josh, she rented a scooter despite not having ridden one for twenty years. After a brief tutorial, she panicked, crashed, and flipped the scooter within three seconds of starting it. Though shaken and embarrassed, she faced a critical choice: retreat to safety as a passenger or get back on and learn to ride. She chose the latter, knowing that "you never get stronger if you only do easy things." This experience illustrates a crucial truth: fear is not the enemy—waiting to stop feeling afraid is. Everyone experiences fear, from beginners to world-class performers. The difference lies in how they respond to it. Take Bruce Springsteen, who still experiences racing heartbeats and swirling sensations in his stomach before performances. Rather than interpreting these as signs of inadequacy, he sees them as indicators that he's ready and excited to perform. To transform your relationship with fear, start by understanding its true nature. Fear isn't designed to stop you—it's sending a signal that requires interpretation. Often, what feels like "danger" is actually your soul saying "DO THIS!" The more afraid you are of pursuing something meaningful, the more certain you can be that it matters deeply to your growth. When facing fear, try this practical approach: Write down your worst-case scenario in detail. Rate the likelihood of this outcome on a scale of 1-10. Then create a specific action plan for how you'd recover if the worst did happen. Next, write down the best-case scenarios and potential benefits. This exercise reveals that worst-case scenarios are often low-probability events, while the potential upside is substantial. Another powerful technique is changing your language around fear. Instead of saying you're "terrified" or "anxious," rename the sensation with a silly word like "shooshie" or "nooney." This simple shift breaks fear's spell and helps you take action despite discomfort. Remember that action metabolizes fear—the fastest way out is through. When distinguishing between fear and intuition, perform a quick body check. Ask yourself: "Does saying yes to this make me feel expansive or contracted?" Pay attention to your immediate physical response. Expansion indicates alignment with your true path; contraction suggests a genuine warning to reconsider.

Chapter 4: Build Resilience Through Setbacks

Perfectionism may seem like a noble pursuit, but it's actually one of the most destructive forces preventing you from achieving your goals. At its core, perfectionism isn't about high standards—it's about fear. Fear of failure, fear of judgment, fear of not being good enough. This paralyzing fear keeps countless brilliant ideas locked inside people who are waiting to feel "ready" before taking action. Marie vulnerably shares her first public workshop experience, which she held in a friend's basement with only five attendees—her parents, her friend, and two neighbors dragged in from the street. While her inner critic labeled this experience "sad" and "pathetic," she recognizes now that this imperfect start was essential to her journey. It taught her a vital lesson: "Starting small and sucky beats staying stucky." This philosophy is supported by Ira Glass's concept of "the gap"—the space between your taste (what you know is good) and your current abilities. As Glass explains, "For the first couple years that you're making stuff, what you're making isn't so good... but your taste—the thing that got you into the game—your taste is still killer." The only way to close this gap is through volume of work and persistence through imperfection. To build resilience, adopt the mantra "progress not perfection." Real progress is rarely a straight line—it zigs and zags, expands and contracts. Expect setbacks as part of the journey. When Marie bombed her audition for Missy Elliott's music video, she initially felt devastated. However, this "failure" actually redirected her toward her true strengths in dance fitness, eventually leading to her becoming one of the world's first Nike Elite Dance Athletes—a path that didn't even exist when she first started dancing. Practical steps for overcoming perfectionism include taking small, consistent actions daily while ignoring the dramatic mental stories about potential outcomes. Plan ahead for inevitable problems rather than being derailed by them. When self-doubt hits (and it will), recognize it as a normal part of the creative process, not a signal to quit. Ask yourself, "What's the next right move?" and focus only on that immediate step. Remember that positive quitting is sometimes necessary. Not all projects deserve indefinite persistence. After thoughtful evaluation, you might realize a particular path no longer aligns with your goals or values. The key distinction: giving up comes from fear, while moving on comes from growth and clarity. Above all, cultivate patience. Elizabeth Gilbert didn't earn a living from her writing for twenty years. Steven Pressfield wrote for seventeen years before earning his first penny as a writer. Real achievement takes time and sustained effort. If you're not willing to persist through difficulties for years, that dream may not be important enough to you.

Chapter 5: Create Meaningful Impact

The ultimate secret to figuring anything out isn't just perseverance—it's connecting your goals to something greater than yourself. When your dreams extend beyond personal gain to create value for others, you tap into unprecedented levels of determination and resilience. Leymah Gbowee's remarkable story illustrates this principle perfectly. Living through Liberia's brutal civil war, she transformed her personal suffering into a powerful peace movement. After witnessing unimaginable violence, Leymah organized thousands of Christian and Muslim women to protest for peace. Day after day, they sat in the scorching heat and pouring rain, refusing to be ignored. "Every day we were on that field," Leymah wrote. "We refused to go away. Refused to let our suffering remain invisible." When peace negotiations stalled, the women formed a human barricade around the hotel where delegates met, preventing them from leaving until they reached an agreement. Their efforts led to the end of the war and Africa's first female head of state. For her work, Leymah received the Nobel Peace Prize. What drove Leymah to persist against overwhelming odds wasn't personal ambition but a profound commitment to her community and future generations. This connection to something greater gave her access to courage and creativity beyond what seemed humanly possible. The same principle applies to your life, whether your goals are global or personal in scale. When pursuing your dreams, you'll inevitably face rejection and criticism. Rather than letting these derail you, use them as fuel. When Marie was dismissed by a businessman who laughed at her business idea and assumed she had "a rich boyfriend or husband" funding her venture, she channeled that anger into determination. Instead of being diminished by criticism, let it strengthen your resolve to prove doubters wrong. To handle criticism effectively, always consider the source. Ask yourself if the person criticizing you has expertise or accomplishments you respect. Distinguish between constructive feedback (which helps you improve) and baseless negativity (which merely reflects the critic's own limitations). When facing harsh criticism, feel compassion rather than anger—truly happy, fulfilled people rarely tear others down. As you move forward, build a supportive community around you. Research confirms that strong social connections directly impact our health, happiness, and performance. Surround yourself with people who share the "everything is figureoutable" philosophy. Invest in these relationships by being a source of encouragement and support for others' dreams. Remember, whatever you long for—appreciation, understanding, celebration—give that same quality to those around you. Your unique gifts are needed in this world. As Marie says at the end of every episode of MarieTV: "The world needs that special gift that only you have." Don't let fear, perfectionism, or criticism keep you from sharing it.

Summary

The figureoutable philosophy isn't just a motivational concept—it's a practical framework for overcoming any obstacle life throws your way. By adopting the belief that everything is figureoutable, you reclaim your power in situations that once seemed hopeless. You train your brain to seek solutions rather than dwell on problems. As Marie writes, "You never feel ready to do the important things you're meant to do." The key is taking action despite fear, embracing imperfection, refusing to accept arbitrary limitations, and connecting your efforts to something greater than yourself. Your next step is surprisingly simple: choose one challenge in your life right now and declare it figureoutable. Write it down. Say it aloud: "This is figureoutable." Then take one small action—any action—toward solving it. Don't wait until you feel ready or until conditions are perfect. Start from exactly where you are with exactly what you have. Remember that clarity comes from engagement, not thought. As you move forward, you'll discover resources and abilities within yourself that you never knew existed. The world truly does need your unique gifts, and everything standing between you and sharing them is—yes—figureoutable.

About Author

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Marie Forleo

A born-and-raised Jersey girl with nothing more than passion, a laptop and a dream, Marie Forleo has created a socially conscious digital empire that inspires millions across the globe.Named by Oprah as a thought leader for the next generation, she’s the star of the award-winning show MarieTV, with over 47 million views, and host of The Marie Forleo Podcast, with more than eight million downloads. Marie has taught entrepreneurs, artists, and multipassionate go-getters from all walks of life how to dream big and back it up with daily action to create results. She runs the acclaimed business training program, B-School. Learn more at www.MarieForleo.com.

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