April is here! The traditional etymology of April is “Aprire” which means “to open”—an allusion to the season when trees and flowers open and bloom! It’s the time of year to shine and be vibrant and allow our inner power to be unleashed.
At SPOT we believe in continuous learning—and I hope that you, too, are an advocate of this principle. In order for us to shine, we need the knowledge that will amplify our talents and skills. How do we gain that knowledge? We practice open mindedness.
After leaving my native country Philippines in 1991, I lived and worked in many different countries and met thousands of people from all walks of life. I was fascinated to hear people speaking languages different from mine, and I soon learned how to greet people in their native tongues. Through these experiences, I learned to appreciate the different cultures and beliefs that have molded nations. That to me was so powerful! I learned to respect, love and appreciate other people’s way of living, wherever they come from.
The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.
What I did not realize at the time, was the wealth of knowledge I gained from these encounters. My level of tolerance, acceptance and appreciation for life grew. Allowing myself to learn new behaviors, new ways of thinking, and new patterns of living made me want to know even more. Like everyone, I have had mishaps and bad experiences, but I never let that deter me from continuing to get to know people.
I want to share with you the five most important things I have learned about this powerful character trait and how it can dramatically change your life.
1. Opening up your mind to new ideas allows you the opportunity to change what you think and how you view the world. Learning new things doesn’t necessarily mean you will change your beliefs, but that you have the option to make the right decision for yourself.
2. Open mindedness provides a platform on which you can build, piling ideas and experiences on top of others. When you learn new things you can use the new ideas to update and refine the old ideas. Everything you experience can add up, strengthening who you are and what you believe in. Without an open mind, it would be difficult to build valuable experiences.
The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take that away from you.
3. When you live with an open mind, you will have a strong sense of self. You are not locked in by your own beliefs nor by the beliefs of others. This will allow you to gain confidence as you learn more about the world around you. Open mindedness helps you to learn and grow, strengthening beliefs in yourself.
4. And don’t ever worry about making mistakes: When you open your mind and allow yourself to see things from another’s perspective, you allow yourself not only to recognize past mistakes and avoid future mistakes. You will own the result of your choice and learn from it. It is not such a bad thing to fall because we learn to get back up again.
5. Lastly, there’s an honesty that comes with an open mind. Being open minded, you are aware that you don’t know everything. It means believing that whatever truth you find might always have more to it than you realize. This understanding creates an underlying sense of honesty that permeates the character of anyone who lives within an open mind.
No one can ever be too smart or invincible to stop learning.
Wishing you a beautiful month of April and hope that new ideas will inspire you to bloom to your full potential. I challenge you to get out of your comfort zone and try and learn new things.
Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts with you. I would love to hear your thoughts about this topic, so email me at Lorna@spotinternationalservices.com.
With love and good wishes,
Lorna Johnston
Founder, SPOT International