{"id":711,"date":"2014-01-09T11:21:40","date_gmt":"2014-01-09T11:21:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/?p=711"},"modified":"2014-01-09T11:23:04","modified_gmt":"2014-01-09T11:23:04","slug":"10-ways-to-open-your-mind-to-new-possibilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/everydayinspiration\/2014\/01\/10-ways-to-open-your-mind-to-new-possibilities.html","title":{"rendered":"10 Ways to Open Your Mind to New Possibilities"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThose who improve with age embrace the power of personal growth and personal achievement and begin to replace youth with wisdom, innocence with understanding, and lack of purpose with self-actualization.\u201d \u2013 Bo Bennett<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sometimes even the smallest shift in thinking can create new and exciting possibilities. Here are a few ways to open the doors to new experiences.<\/p>\n

1.\tRealize you\u2019re not the only one with fears<\/strong> \u2013 The number one thing that affects people\u2019s lives and decisions is fear. We\u2019re afraid of failure, afraid of rejection, afraid of change<\/a>. But there is no growth or experience in fear! In keeping things the same, you only hurt yourself and shield yourself from new, enriching experiences.<\/p>\n

2.\tNo one is watching you <\/strong>\u2013 When trying new things or getting out of our comfort zone, we tend to think all eyes are on us. It can be pretty intimidating and makes us quite self-conscious. Over time, you\u2019ll grow to crush your fear and do your new activity or hobby with confidence. But keep in mind as you practice that you\u2019re not being watched the way you think you are.<\/p>\n

3.\tYou can\u2019t grow if you don\u2019t try<\/strong> \u2013 You can\u2019t expect a plant to grow if you never put the seed in the soil. You\u2019ll have to actually plant a seed in your life, as well, if you want to expand your mind and your world. Nothing is holding you back except yourself. Finances, personal background, education, your upbringing, socioeconomic status, job\u2014nothing can hold you back if you really don\u2019t want it to.<\/p>\n

4.\tTry the thing you\u2019ve always wanted to<\/strong> \u2013 What\u2019s stopping you from taking salsa dance lessons, learning guitar, seeing the Grand Canyon, or training for a marathon? It may be something you have to work toward, save up for, or make some small sacrifices for, but opening your mind to new things<\/a> means trying new things. Make it happen; don\u2019t make excuses!<\/p>\n

5.\tVisualize who you want to be<\/strong> \u2013 It\u2019s hard to be happy or successful if you can\u2019t clearly see what it is you\u2019re aiming for. What does the ideal you have that the current you doesn\u2019t have? Is it a certain attitude? A different level of confidence? A particular skill set or trait that you can develop? Study someone that has what you want and see what they\u2019re doing differently.
\n<\/p>\n

6.\tDon\u2019t restrict yourself<\/strong> \u2013 Do you find yourself thinking that you can\u2019t do something or that you\u2019re not capable of some things? You pre-define in your head what it is you\u2019re \u201cable\u201d to do and not do. You\u2019re putting limits on your own opportunities! Open the door for yourself and your world by not limiting what you can do, create, experience, feel, or learn.<\/p>\n

7.\tStop negative self-talk<\/strong> \u2013 You will quickly halt your own progress and growth in life if you\u2019re always talking negatively, especially about yourself. Phrases and statements like, \u201cI can\u2019t do that\u201d, \u201cI\u2019m not good at that\u201d, or \u201cI\u2019ll never have that\u201d will only hinder you. You won\u2019t be cultivating the mindset you need in order to grow as a person.<\/p>\n

8.\tBuild positive habits<\/strong> \u2013 Instead of trying to catch each time you say something bad about yourself, focus on creating the positive habit instead. Tell yourself that you CAN do it, that you CAN get the position. You can do your best, and you can succeed. Start by telling yourself the right things so that you will get the right results.<\/p>\n

9.\tThe power is yours<\/strong> \u2013 If you wait to reach a certain income level before you even look into starting a new hobby, you\u2019re hurting yourself. If you use the way you were raised as an excuse to hold on to certain beliefs, while resisting education, you\u2019re hurting yourself. It\u2019s only up to you to make a change<\/a>, make a decision. Some things are harder than others, but once you make a serious decision to make a change or open up your world in any way, you can change anything.<\/p>\n

10.\tHave empathy<\/strong> \u2013 A big way to expand your possibilities is to reach out to other humans. Show them mercy and compassion, even if it\u2019s just mentally acknowledging their intentions and what they\u2019re going through. People get in bad moods, like we all do, or they tend not to realize the effect they\u2019re having on others. Realizing this and having a bit of empathy for the people you come in contact with will open your mind in a variety of ways and allow you to see the world differently. <\/p>\n

About Alex Blackwell<\/a><\/h5>\n

Alex Blackwell<\/strong> is the author of Letting Go: 25 True Stories of Peace, Hope and Surrender<\/a><\/strong>, which includes 10 free Peace and Balance tools<\/a><\/strong>.
\nWeb<\/a> | Inspiring Things <\/a> | Free eBook: How to Love Consciously<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cThose who improve with age embrace the power of personal growth and personal achievement and begin to replace youth with wisdom, innocence with understanding, and lack of purpose with self-actualization.\u201d \u2013 Bo Bennett Sometimes even the smallest shift in thinking can create new and exciting possibilities. Here are a few ways to open the doors…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":554,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-711","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n10 Ways to Open Your Mind to New Possibilities - Everyday Inspiration<\/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\/everydayinspiration\/2014\/01\/10-ways-to-open-your-mind-to-new-possibilities.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10 Ways to Open Your Mind to New Possibilities - Everyday Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cThose who improve with age embrace the power of personal growth and personal achievement and begin to replace youth with wisdom, innocence with understanding, and lack of purpose with self-actualization.\u201d \u2013 Bo Bennett Sometimes even the smallest shift in thinking can create new and exciting possibilities. 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