{"id":989,"date":"2012-05-27T07:01:06","date_gmt":"2012-05-27T07:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/areasontosmile\/?p=989"},"modified":"2012-05-27T07:04:04","modified_gmt":"2012-05-27T07:04:04","slug":"qa-is-it-possible-to-be-too-open-minded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/areasontosmile\/2012\/05\/qa-is-it-possible-to-be-too-open-minded.html","title":{"rendered":"Q&A: \u2018Is it possible to be too open minded?\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Question submitted via Formspring<\/a>:
\n\u201cIs it possible to be TOO open minded?\u201d<\/p>\n

Absolutely; especially when you consider it\u2019s possible to be too<\/em> much of anything!<\/p>\n

Although, it is far more common to find people who are too closed minded, the too open variety does exist.\u00a0 Usually, people who are too open minded suffer from low self esteem; although in many ways the closed minded ones have the same problem.\u00a0 \u00a0When you are more preoccupied with the opinions of others, it is easy to let what other people think override your own wishes.\u00a0 \u00a0To quote Bill Cosby: \u201cI don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

Being too open minded is really just a symptom of not knowing what you really want<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Clarity is power; a person who knows who they are and what they want is like a battle ship cutting through the waves.\u00a0 Not knowing what you want is like being a cork, bouncing on the ocean.<\/p>\n

A big reason why people get stuck wondering what they want, is because they are afraid of making a mistake.\u00a0\u00a0 The fear of choosing the wrong thing is so great, they choose nothing.\u00a0 \u00a0Unfortunately, it is not possible to actually choose nothing; doing nothing is in reality choosing how things are right now.\u00a0 Rather than make decisions based on what’s available, decide what it is you want, and then set about creating it; create, rather than react.<\/p>\n

And, don’t worry about it being hard; if it was easy you’d have done it already!<\/p>\n

You are great, and I love you!
\nAnd if you love me back, click ‘share’ up at the top!<\/p>\n

B. Dave Walters
\nWriter, Life Coach, and Talk Radio Host<\/p>\n

Find out more about me:
\nhttp:\/\/about.me\/BDaveWalter<\/a>s<\/p>\n

Ask me anything:
\nhttp:\/\/formspring.me\/BDaveWalters<\/a><\/p>\n

Pages I support:
\nJesus and Buddha<\/a>\u00a0— Interfaith dialog<\/p>\n

Gnostic Theism<\/a>\u00a0— Religion and Spirituality for the 21st Century (Join the Movement!)<\/p>\n

Love One Another<\/a>\u00a0— A group for the coolest Spiritual people on the Internet!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question submitted via Formspring: \u201cIs it possible to be TOO open minded?\u201d Absolutely; especially when you consider it\u2019s possible to be too much of anything! Although, it is far more common to find people who are too closed minded, the too open variety does exist.\u00a0 Usually, people who are too open minded suffer from low…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":450,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,47,55,80,39,116,35,29,81,38,46,88,28,41,48,30,78],"tags":[13,12,11,36,6,14,23,26,25,51,24,42,50,18,56,7,113],"class_list":["post-989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-change-2","category-communication","category-emotions-2","category-family","category-fear","category-friends","category-getting-over-it","category-happiness","category-healing","category-hope-inspiration","category-love-yourself","category-mind","category-peace","category-positive-thinking","category-spirituality","category-the-past","category-worry","tag-change","tag-emotions","tag-gnostic-theism","tag-hope","tag-law-of-attraction","tag-life-coach","tag-love","tag-peacelovemoney-com","tag-psychology","tag-rejection","tag-relationships","tag-self-talk","tag-spiritual-but-not-religious","tag-spiritual-coach","tag-stress","tag-the-secret","tag-universal-law"],"yoast_head":"\nQ&A: \u2018Is it possible to be too open minded?\u2019 - A Reason to Smile<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/areasontosmile\/2012\/05\/qa-is-it-possible-to-be-too-open-minded.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Q&A: \u2018Is it possible to be too open minded?\u2019 - A Reason to Smile\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Question submitted via Formspring: \u201cIs it possible to be TOO open minded?\u201d Absolutely; especially when you consider it\u2019s possible to be too much of anything! 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Although, it is far more common to find people who are too closed minded, the too open variety does exist.\u00a0 Usually, people who are too open minded suffer from low…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/areasontosmile\/2012\/05\/qa-is-it-possible-to-be-too-open-minded.html","og_site_name":"A Reason to Smile","article_published_time":"2012-05-27T07:01:06+00:00","article_modified_time":"2012-05-27T07:04:04+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/areasontosmile\/files\/2012\/05\/if-you-re-too-open-minded-your-brain-will-fall-out.jpg"}],"author":"B. 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He is the author of one book, \"49 Lost Secrets of Peace, Love, and Money\". For years, friends and relatives looked to him for guidance and support during difficult times, and he realized at an early age that his purpose in life was to serve and inspire. While touring as a personal coach with a prominent rock band, he was discovered by one of the top trainers of the Anthony Robbins companies, which lead to him settling down to open and operate a Marketing, Business Services and Coaching firm in Los Angeles. Armed with an insatiable thirst for knowledge, he brings the same discipline and determination that helped him earn Black Belt rankings in Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi to all areas of study and focus. In addition to earning a degree in English from Morehouse College, he has mastered the science of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and other communication, healing, counseling and spiritual systems from all over the world. 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