30 – The Value of an Open Mind

BY STAN KONTOS

One of the greatest learnings that I continue to make in life and business is the incredible value of continuing to give my best in having an open mind. Like all of us, we all believe we are open minded however did you know that to be good at this, one needs to practice and exercise their mind daily?

What truly makes a mind open is the question one asks immediately after being presented with a statement  together with the ability not to place judgement on another human being’s perspective. This as we know sounds easier than it is in practice.  One of the greatest wisdoms I have ever heard is “Thou shalt not judge”. This wisdom although thousands of years in the making is still relevant today. But what exactly does it mean and how is it related to having an open mind?

If someone comes to you and says “I’ve been through a relationship breakdown and you know what –  you cannot trust anyone in this world”. Would you allow their perspective to affect your model of the world (how you see things)?  Or would you ask an internal open ended  question to yourself and keep your mind open such as “Isn’t that interesting. I’d like to learn more about this human being’s life experience.” You see, it is only by asking an open ended question such as this that you truly do not place judgement on this person’s perspective but rather begin to adopt an inquisitive approach eager to learn more and perhaps in turn being of assistance to them.

And what if you met someone who came up to you and stated  “I earn $10,000 per hour whenever I want to make more money and find it easy to do so”. How would you internally react in thought to this statement?  Would it be with an open mind such as “Isn’t that incredible?  Wouldn’t that be a wonderful skill to learn too?”.

When you keep your mind open in every situation whether in life or business, you will learn more, you will be more at peace with your inner self, and you will be getting the maximum value from the journey of life.

So what simple exercise can we all do today to take our life to another level in open mindedness? The simplest one thing that we can do which if we did on a consistent basis all day long is say an affirmation to ourselves that will then guide our mind to becoming what we are saying. Now of course, you may choose any affirmation that works for you to help you keep an open mind during each day – here is one that I believe will do the job:

“Every day, in every way, I look at every situation and say to myself  Isn’t that interesting?  What do I need to learn of value from this?”

The above statement, quietly muttered to oneself throughout the day (100’s of times) will result in you conditioning your mind to respond differently and you will begin to see more how life works and the many opportunities you have to learn, grow, add value and be more at peace.

One of the greatest privileges I have is the opportunity to interview great people every month at our breakfast event (http://www.nextlevelbreakfasts.com.au/) and this month will be with a great (Swedish) thinker Goran Roos. I am sure he will help us all to completely see things differently in how the world is evolving,  what innovations are on the horizon, and where the opportunities are for the future for all of us.  I encourage you to come along on Wednesday August 9^th.

Remember that with your thoughts you create your world. And with your questions you create your emotions and the direction of your life.

Live with passion, stay on your life’s purpose, and always be at peace.

Stan Kontos