“The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend” ~ Henri Bergson
Keeping an open mind is one of the most difficult things to practice. It means you are open to everyone and everything that comes your way, allowing yourself to embrace different possibilities, opportunities, people, views, suggestions and interests.
I don’t claim to master this skill, but I do see great improvement and it makes me feel powerful having the ability to change my way of thinking and not to get stuck in a mindset that makes me frustrated, angry or helpless.
Keeping an open mind is one of the best tools I use in simplifying my life.
It doesn’t mean I believe or accept everything, but I do listen, observe, feel and try to comprehend every situation on my path. It has given me, saved me and helped me many times. Try it yourself.
Here are a several ways to keep an open mind and how to benefit:
Comprehend – Try to understand, sympathize and make sense of someone else’s story, opinion or response. What would you say or think and how would you react if you were in the other persons shoe.
Middle Ground – There are times you might be convinced that you are 100 percent right and someone else is not. Take the middle ground, look deeper, life is not always black or white.
Be Informed – Be open to all information. Be interested in new, old, odd, unobvious insights. Read different books, magazines and blogs. Don’t limit yourself and learn to love new things.
Be Limitless – The moment you think you know something for sure you are limiting yourself.
It is said that we operate in two contrasting modes – Open and Closed. Open mode relaxed, receptive, more exploratory and playful. Closed models in contrast, the tighter, rigid, more tunnel-visioned way of living. Unfortunately many of us perceive the closed mode as productive until we awaken to the endless pursuits that have closed us off.
Peace and Love, Jim
