Develop An Open Mind
by: Hellen
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Word Count: 545
It can be incredibly easy to settle into one way of viewing the world, and one way of seeing things, but you mustn’t allow this to happen. When you limit yourself to a single point of view, you miss out on the bigger picture, and sacrifice a great deal of potential understanding that you could otherwise acquire with an open mind. If for no other reason than to have greater, more effective communication with others, you need to keep your mind open to new possibilities.
So many things are possible in the universe. So much is possible here on earth. That is why it is considered absurd by many to staunchly limit oneself to a single point of view. “This is the way things are, and that’s that.” “Could they also be, say, this way?” “No, absolutely not.” “How do you know?” “Believe me, I know. I know because I know, that’s how.” “That’s no answer.” “That’s the only way I can live!”
Masters of knowledge throughout the ages, the geniuses of history all knew that the more you know, the more you don’t know. With answers come new questions. A useful question you can ask yourself in many situations is, “What if?” What if things aren’t the way you think they are? What if they’re another way?
When having an argument with someone, it’s easy to put the blinders on and completely shut their side out of your mind. Even when they make the most sense, you can still refuse to believe them. Afterwards, when you’re calm and alone, it can sometimes become clear what they meant, and how they reached their point of view. If you had tried to understand where they were coming from at the start of your disagreement, you would have been in a more powerful position, since you would have been aware of both your view and theirs. Instead of using that advantage to win the argument, you could have helped resolve the conflict amicably. “I completely understand where you’re coming from, and this is how I see it…” To succeed in that is to achieve an even greater victory.
When another person feels heard and understood, they will usually be significantly calmer, and much more open to a smooth resolution. You can create such a fine result in most conflicts, simply by keeping your mind open to all possible aspects of an issue.
Even when alone, having an open mind is of tremendous importance. When you think of something a certain way, and then decide that that’s the only way it can possibly be, you limit yourself to one interpretation with no guarantee that it’s the best, most useful point of view. There may later arise a situation in which your viewpoint directly affects your level of success in that moment. A different viewpoint that you might have written off could have helped you to do even better. Instead, you lost out because you closed yourself off to potentially superior possibilities. You don’t have to do that.
If you keep your mind open to a better alternative, in all things, you’ll be keeping yourself receptive to a greater, more powerful understanding. Not only will you be inherently more intelligent, you’ll also be better prepared to achieve success in the future.
Author: Warren Heart
www.TheWritersOnline.com
(Read or Write Your Way to Big Success)
About the Author
Warren Heart specializes in secret success tips and personal improvement strategies. Learn how to escape your routine and live like a hero. Visit http://www.realsuperpowers.com
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