You Gain A Lot By Opening The Door To Your Mind
“I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than closed by belief.” — Gerry Spence
Did you know that close-mindedness stifles our personal growth? For instance, I’ve met people who lived inside their perfectly ordered boxes and refuse to keep an open mind about various issues. In a world full of endless possibilities and infinite potential, open-mindedness is key to an ever-expanding consciousness. Consider the quote by the Buddha who said: “Let yourself be open and life will be easier. A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable. A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed.” I understand it is not always easy to be open-minded. We grow up and learn certain beliefs and associate with like-minded people most of our lives. So, when someone presents us with a different viewpoint than ours, it’s difficult to accept, or at the very least, be open to thinking about it. How about you? Do you consider yourself to be open-minded about most issues?
We gain a lot by opening the door to our mind. I know people who were rigid in their thoughts and beliefs. Throughout the years, they relaxed a little, and have become more open-minded. They carry less stress and are more at peace and content. Being close-minded means we miss out on personal growth and its associated benefits. For example, if we have a firm opinion about those in same-sex relationships and believe they are not worthy of love or acceptance, we are missing out on an opportunity to know wonderful people. The pre-judgment is close-mindedness and can cause us pain and to others.
Expand Your Mind
“It is never too late to give up your prejudices.” ― Henry David Thoreau
Expanding our mind and becoming more open-minded offers us a road to new ideas and beliefs. Though it is easier to stay inside comfortable boxes, climbing out gives us wide eyes to see the beauty and creative wonders of the world and spirit. Consider your answer to these questions: Do you want to be rigid and close-minded or expand your mind? See new things? Try new roads?
Benefits of Open Mindedness:
1. You Experience a Good Kind of Losing Control:
Sometimes being in control is rewarding, but not when it causes you stress. Therefore, let go of your thoughts and rigid beliefs. Allow new thoughts and ideas through your excited, open mind. Trust me, it is liberating to think differently and consider all possibilities instead of limiting yourself.
2. Change Your World-view:
Why do we keep the same world-view throughout our whole life? As we grow and experience new things, meet new people, learn new things, our world-view should expand. Although we don’t have to change our beliefs if we don’t want to, it is liberating to feel like we can if we want.
3. You Consider New Possibilities:
Being open-minded makes us feel vulnerable because we may not know “everything” but this is a good thing. Too many people think they know it all (and they clearly don’t). I find it refreshing and exciting that I don’t know everything and I am open to new possibilities all the time. I remain curious and enthusiastic about learning new things and expanding my awareness. When I make a mistake, I vow to learn from it. How about you?
4. You Gain More Confidence.
By keeping an open mind, you experience more confidence. You appreciate varying beliefs are fine and you don’t always have to be right. Hear something that sounds foolish? A confident person might ponder it for a while, but someone who is not confident might argue their point right away. Open-mindedness is a sign of a developed mind and others pick up on this wonderful quality. A person with an open mind listens more than they speak and gains friends quickly because they are have learned how to think and interact with others in a genuine way.
Being open-minded is like choosing to live in a glass house over one with no windows. You see different people approach your glass house with many beliefs and values and freely observe them, but still have the choice of opening the door or not. On the other hand, if you live in a house with no windows, you couldn’t care about seeing people approach your house because you don’t want company. Considering this, take out a sheet of paper or write in your journal or smartphone, areas of your life where you could be more open-minded? What is stopping you? Is it fear, ignorance or preferring to stay in your comfort zone? Analyse why you feel this way and try to get a sense of your motives. There are plenty of advantages for being open-minded. It is my hope you will take this into consideration as you think about how open-minded you are.
Are You Ready to Transform Your Life with Confidence?
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Tony Fahkry
Expert Life Coach
