Open Your Mind

by Eugene
(Cape Town, South Africa)

Everything begins in the mind. Every skyscraper, every painting, and every custom-made Italian suit were once ideas in someone’s head. Without these ideas, nothing would exist. Without new ideas, nothing will ever change. The problem is that most people stifle new ideas without ever giving them a chance to flourish. One of the biggest things that held me back in life was my limiting belief about what was possible. I was always talking about how I couldn’t do this or how I couldn’t be that. Is it really surprising to see that what I believed actually came true?

This limitation we have is nothing new. In As a Man Thinketh (available as a free e-book), John Allen wrote about the “law of attraction” as it’s popularly called over 100 years ago! We should all strive to keep our eyes open as we go about our days in search of new ways to constantly stimulate and feed our minds. We should always be exposed to something new and exciting that forces us to stretch our minds and discover new perspectives and possibilities outside our comfort zones.

There are a lot of ways to do that. Turning off the TV would be a good start. Pick up a book, a newspaper, or a magazine that doesn’t have yet another celebrity’s cellulite issues on the cover. Go to a museum, a gallery, an exhibit, a film festival, a theatrical production, a classical concert, or a jazz concert. Take a dance class, a cooking class, or even an investment class. Do a crossword puzzle or a jigsaw puzzle. Learn a language, learn an instrument, or plan an exotic holiday just for fun. Phew! I’m sure you get the idea.