Going through life with your head in the sand is no way to truly live. To be engaged and open to new people and experiences is so much more rewarding and fun. While it’s good to take care of yourself and your health, you should also spend time learning about other people.
Maybe you’re someone who has tried to be more open-minded in the past, but you haven’t quite found the right formula for sticking with it. If this is you, you’re not alone and should know that many people struggle with finding a balance. Be kind to yourself as you adjust and explore new ways of thinking.
Expand your Circle of Friends
If you’re always with the same social circle, it’s likely you’ll start to adopt each other’s opinions and type of thought patterns. It’s only natural given the amount of time you’re together. If you want to stretch your mind, then it’s a good idea to expand your circle of friends and converse with people who have different views. You’ll learn a lot and may even consider changing your outlook on a few topics.
Read Stories outside of your Normal Interests
Of course you’re busy with work obligations and have personal interests, but reading should be used as a tool for widening your knowledge and learning. That’s why it’s important to find publications like consolidatetimes.com that you may not typically think to click through online that share interesting information and stories. Read about people and places that aren’t in your usual rotation. Continue to change it up daily and don’t get too comfortable with one subject matter or outlet.
Practice Compassion
To be open-minded will require you to practice compassion toward yourself and others. This is because doing so will allow you to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and be more understanding of what you aren’t familiar with. It’ll help you see that you’re not alone, everyone has problems and that you shouldn’t be so quick to give your opinion without being fully informed first. You’ll be able to put love and kindness ahead of competition and greed, which will help you start to see various subject matters from different perspectives.
Avoid Judgments & Speculation
Putting labels on people and situations is only keeping you more set in your ways. You have to remove judgments and speculation if you want to be more open-minded. It’s easy to judge and make assumptions when you’re the one looking in from the outside. All it takes is a mindful awareness of what you’re thinking, doing and saying. Meditate or do yoga to start training your brain to be more accepting of what you consider not normal or different from what you’re familiar with.
Conclusion
Be happy to know that you always have the opportunity to change your habits. No one’s making you think a particular way or judge. You should take risks, try new things, put yourself out there and don’t be afraid to fail. Take charge of your mind, and begin to open it to new information and opinions daily.