Is growth all about taking action? It involves planning – sure. But we often tick boxes without giving ourselves time to take it in. Without looking back at what we did, even if it went well, and consciously analyzing our actions. That is a great point when criticism is useful. So today, if you have 5 minutes – give yourself time to reflect. You might experience more growth in moments than you did for a while.
Staying humble about what we think we know might sound unnatural and it definitely can be challenging, considering that we are spending our lives trying to prove ourselves from a young age, but it’s a must. Why? A flexible way of thinking allows us to welcome new information with an open mind. It helps us grow and it helps us adjust.
If you ever worked on a project and found it challenging to adjust to change or to update the plan, then you have an idea as to what the ‘always right’ mind is capable of. A beginner’s mind does the opposite. It allows us to receive new information assuming that the information we already hold might not be the truest representation of the current reality. Our mind has a tendency of staying stuck in the past. Accepting reality as ever-changing is a way of staying present. When we are open to learn, nothing will surprise us.
I’ve let peace settle in today in a situation that usually would cause me annoyance, to say the least. It wasn’t a day any different that yesterday or the day before, and yet I had the ability to look at the beginning of an emotion and smile.
This incredible superpower came unexpectedly but looking back I can appreciate actions I took to build myself up for that moment. Here are some things that come into mind:
All these practices compound into one moment that could have turn a good day into a bad one if I allowed it to. Give yourself the power to accept what is not within your control and you’ll save yourself high amounts of negative energy.
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