Open Mindedness As A Spiritual Practice

Open mindedness is a key quality for spiritual growth, allowing us to be more flexible in our thinking, to see things from multiple perspectives, and to receive new insights from the Divine. It is an essential tool for anyone seeking a more spiritual and self fulfilled life using inner work to let go and open ourselves to new possibilities. Here are some tips and benefits for practicing open mindedness as a spiritual practice.

But first, what does open minded even mean:

Open mindedness is the willingness to see things from multiple perspectives and to entertain new ideas. It is an essential quality for spiritual growth and an important practice for anyone on a spiritual path. There are many benefits of open mindedness, including the ability to remain open to new possibilities and experiences, to be more compassionate, and to be more flexible in our thinking. Open mindedness is a key quality for anyone who wants to grow spiritually, as it allows us to receive new insights and understandings from the Divine. If you are seeking a more spiritual life, open mindedness is an essential tool for your journey.

What are the benefits of open mindedness:

One of the most important benefits of open mindedness is that it allows us to remain open to new possibilities and experiences. It allows us to let go of our preconceptions and judgmental attitude, and to see things fresh each time. Another benefit of open mindedness is that it allows us to be more compassionate. When we are open minded, we can more easily understand and empathize with others. We can see their point of view and appreciate their experience, even if it is different from our own. When we are listening to others, we often get lost in listening to be heard vs listening to understand someone else. So the next time you are talking with someone, take a mental pause on what is racing through your mind and listen to the other person's perspective. This can feel awkward at first but just let the other person know that you are processing. Say something like, "That's interesting, I have never thought of it that way let me take a min to process." Or "I would love to reflect on this some more can we discuss this later?" For a more social setting with friends you can try, "Wow. Thank you for sharing that experience. You really have given me something to think about." They will feel heard, you practice open mindedness and you find out how you truly feel about something that you may wish or not wish to follow up on.

As you rewire your thought process into digesting what you are hearing vs trying to be heard, your brain will move slower. Remember your brain is a muscle and needs to go through strength training. But imagine the ability to switch back and forth. Because your voice still matters and 100% needs to be heard but we need to find a middle ground with ourselves and others. And that middle ground more often than not is through acceptance. Acceptance of yourself and others.

How open mindedness can help you on your spiritual journey:

Open mindedness is a key quality for spiritual growth, as it allows us to receive new insights and understandings from the Divine. When we are open minded, we create space for the Divine to work in our lives. If you are seeking a more spiritual life, open mindedness is an essential tool for your journey.

Sometimes (a lot of times) divine messages come to us that we are not mentally or physically ready to experience and/or accept. Why is that? Well that can be a big question and a personal one. Typical reasons for avoiding a message from divinity are:

1. You are holding on to something in your current and physical space. This could be a material item, a relationship, a situation at work, etc.

2. You have preconceived notions or ideas of how things should be that are different from what is being presented to you.

3. You think you know better than the Divine (we can all attest to how that goes.)

4. You are not ready or prepared to let go of what is comfortable and known even if it isn't to your highest good.

If any of the above resonate with you, then you my friend are not open minded. You are closed off to the message, the guidance, and the change that is being brought to you because it doesn’t fit into your current reality or schema of how things should be. So what do you do? You guessed it, you change your attitude and perspective to be more open minded.

How to practice open mindedness:

There are many ways to practice open mindedness. One way is to simply be aware of your own judgmental thoughts and attitudes, and to consciously let them go. Another way is to seek out new experiences and perspectives, even (or especially) those that are different from your own. You can also meditate on the concept of open mindedness, and visualization yourself as being open to all that is good. Whatever method you choose, the important thing is to be patient and consistent in your practice.

Here are some ways that you can be more open minded:

Be curious: When a new idea is presented to you, instead of immediately shooting it down, ask questions about it. What is this idea? Where did it come from? How could it benefit me?

Be open to change: Be willing to let go of your current beliefs or understanding of something if new information presents itself.

Challenge yourself: Seek out new experiences and perspectives, even (or especially) those that are different from your own.

Be accepting: Accept that not everyone will see things the way that you do, and that’s okay.

Open mindedness is a quality that takes time to develop. Here is a simple journal exercise to get you practicing open mindedness:

For one week, make a point of noticing judgmental thoughts as they arise in your mind. When you notice a judgmental thought, take note of it in your journal. Then, instead of berating yourself for having the thought, or trying to push it away, simply observe it without judgment. After observing the thought, replace it with a more open minded thought. For example, if you have the judgmental thought, “People who are late are so inconsiderate,” you could replace it with the open minded thought, “Maybe this person had a difficult morning and is doing the best they can.”

Notice how you feel after spending a week practicing open mindedness. Do you feel lighter, happier, more at peace? These are just some of the benefits of open mindedness. By changing our perspective with an open mind we are freeing ourselves from limiting beliefs and judgment. This allows for a more compassionate understanding of ourselves and others, and creates space for new insights and understandings from the Divine. Its very freeing when we let go of what we can't control and be accepting of what is or who others are. So the next time you find yourself getting caught up in judgmental thinking, remember to practice open mindedness and let go of those limiting beliefs that truly have no power over you. Open your mind to a different perspective and see how it changes your life for the better.