Instead of thinking "it is always this way" or "this always happens to me", look at a situation in terms of what is different from the way your mind habitually sees it and focus on that little piece that is new. Allow yourself to notice when and how you get stuck in a certain way of thinking and look for ways to change your perspective, to set your mind free from a well worn path and give it rein to actually think and discover, to be curious. It is helpful to let go of the need to be right and choose instead to surrender to an unknown in order to learn something new. While this can be uncomfortable, it also makes us more teachable and opens us to possibilities of change. If a scientist believes something is true and sets about to prove it, she is likely to contaminate her research by what she sees and does not see in accordance with her belief system. If a scientist asks a question and sets out with curiosity to discover how something works, her mind and eyes are more willing to allow her to see what is actually there.
Some simple ways to open your mind:
-Do little things differently : ie, if you always put your right shoe on first start with the left. Even small things begin to shift our awareness.
-Be curious about other’s point of view: ask questions and listen attentively to the answers
-Get up 10 minutes early in the morning and use that time to do something outside your routine. Write in a journal, take a short walk, meditate, do some stretching exercise…use your imagination.
- Pick a subject you know little about and read about it
-Take a class and learn something new : yoga, ChiGong, cooking, crafts, gardening, woodworking, basic anatomy, technology …..
Cultivate curiosity to keep your mind functioning at its optimum. Things that are not used tend to get dusty, so activate your thinking process in new ways to keep it clean and sharp.