Keeping an Open Mind

I believe that in life we need to be a bit of a Jack of all trades. We need to be a little bit of a lawyer, a little bit of a doctor, a little bit of a tradesperson, and so on. Why? Well, for one, when we have stake in the game, we also have much to lose if we make decisions that are not aligned with our best interests. As such, if we want to make educated decisions, then we will need to, well, become educated.

Learning about topics that may not interest us, or fall under our chosen expertise, might seem daunting at first, or boring at best. But when we make the effort to learn new things, it becomes well worth our time in light of the opportune results we will likely achieve. Of course if something is not as important to you, choosing to defer completely to others will make total sense. But when collective or personal decisions have the ability to potentially change the course of your life, a little effort to open your mind will certainly go a long way.

Nobody wants to be the odd person out. So what do we do? We take everything at face value, never questioning what we are being told because we do not believe that we are qualified to do so. But what if you are right to ask? What if there is more to the story? And what if you are indeed more intuitive than you give yourself credit for? Is outside approval, then, really all that important?

Common beliefs change so frequently in our world that if we do not keep an open mind, we will inevitably deplete ourselves of our ability to adapt and change. But when we leave the door open, even a crack, and welcome ideas that we may not have previously considered, all of the sudden a whole new world of possibilities appears before us.

Of course, no one is suggesting that you throw the baby out with the bath water. But if you are willing to experiment enough with your thoughts and beliefs, you will find the ideal temperature that you are wanting.

Life is a series of questions and answers. Think about it. Every choice, thought, decision, and action you have likely ever made started out as a question. “How will I achieve this?” “How do I feel about that?” “What is the next step for me to take?” And so on.

Consequently, questioning is the fabric of our very existence; but so is making ourselves available to the answer. So instead of automatically rejecting ideas that may be new to you, or that you do not quite understand, perhaps you would be better served to leave some room for innocent curiosity. After all, you have nothing (that’s real) to lose, and everything to gain.