When a closed mind is necessary….You need to read this!
One of my favorite things to do in the whole wide world is Philosophy & Coffee. If I could sit around all day and BS, debate for the sake of debating and have my mind challenged, no agenda – I would love this! (Anyone free this morning?! 🙂 )
This probably comes from my childhood, sitting around the farm table on a Saturday morning with Opa, Oma and a big pot of coffee, talking about everything under the sun. Looking back, this is no doubt where my open mind and curiosity came from.
Something I repeat to myself daily, as part of my life mantra, core belief that I choose to hold, is that ‘I have an open mind‘.
And thus far, I believe it has served me well.
Having and keeping an open mind, I believe offers this:
- true love
- understanding of others
And if that short list doesn’t sell you on why you should keep mostly an open mind, then you will choose being ‘right’ over probably having JOY in your life. (<– & that rabbit hole is for another day!)
BUT, I want to share with you today about when it is necessary to have a closed mind.
Because, like most things in life, there isn’t just one way to BE.
There are times that call for closed-mindedness.
Yesterday, I was driving and listening to one of my fav’s from 1910. Yes, the year 1910. Good ol’ Wallace D. Wattles.
The Science of Getting Rich.
I’ve listened and read it many many times over. Like anything, you always get new and different messages from the same material when you study it.
This was no different.
He brought up really good points on why one would at times need to keep a closed mind.
This really challenged me!
And then I realized this….
I’m keeping a closed mind to having anything but an open mind.
The ultimate in irony. A true paradox.
I feel I have to be RIGHT about having an open mind and that people with closed minds come across….
unkind –
to say the least. I’m sure I can come up with a lot of other words for what I think of true closed-minded people!
Seriously, I personally find it hard to relate to people who have to be right all the time and don’t even entertain new ideas or thoughts or world views.
However, I was really confronted with this whole open/closed mind thing yesterday when Wattles was talking about manifesting your one true desire, accomplishing your BIG goals.
The place where closed-mindedness comes into play is when you are following the deep desires of your heart, and set out big plans or goals. The BIG Vision of what you want to create and bring into the world.
In the beginning, sure, it takes an open heart to be able to figure out your desires, goals and how you want your life to look but once you have that figured out, put on some blinders and ear plugs.
Being closed minded means you need to drown out the NOISE of the world pulling you in different directions with conflicting advice.
Some examples:
- Diets: Eat this, don’t eat this. Do this, don’t do that.
- Business: Sell this way, don’t market that way. Do this, don’t do that.
- Money: Invest this way, don’t spend your money that way. Do this, don’t do that.
- Relationships: Love this way, don’t say that. Do this, don’t do that.
You will get a million different opinions from a million different people. EVERY TIME.
If you are seeking a quorum, or mentally tallying votes on what to do in a certain situation, or figuring out who’s doing what – DON’T.
You may be doing it subconsciously on some level.
(I tally votes in my head on how people choose their diets and exercise… ALL THE TIME! Vegan, Keto, Frenchfrychocolatarian (it’s probably a thing!), Macro-nutrients, intermittent fasting, yoga, Pilates, cross-fit…..)
We all do. Follow the crowd, that is. Want to fit in, that is. Want to be accepted and loved.
When you are in hot pursuit of your goal, that’s when you really want to focus in.
- Focus in on 1 or 2 mentors.
- Focus in on 1 or 2 good books.
- Focus in on what feels right.
- Focus in on what is placed on your heart.
- Focus in on the big vision.
This is how all great things have been accomplished.
- not listening to the crowd
- not reading contradicting materials
- not seeking out opinions of others
- not following 100 different mentors all with different messages
Now, let’s me be truthful here. I’m so bad at this.
I love learning.
If you are a learner and you have natural curiousity, you will most likely have the same problem that I have encountered.
My biggest problem is that I do listen to everyone and what everyone is telling me (aka. gurus, mentors, books (I read a LOT), family, friends, etc.) for the most part ALL contradicts each other.
So I’m left in a MUDDLE of THOUGHTS and no real direction on what is right for me. (And this is fine in the beginning and necessary to learn, but after a while, it gets old!)
I felt that way before I wrote my book STRUT: How to Kick Financial ASSets in Sexy Shoes!
Writing out all my financial beliefs and thoughts on money was one way I clarified to myself what I really believed.
Funny how writing and journaling always seem to bring clarity!
Oh, and with this closed-mindedness, you don’t need to actually be a rude jerk, you can just smile and nod when you are getting advice or just kindly say, “No, that’s not for me right now.” Maybe revisit it in the future.
Something that isn’t for you right now, or for this season in your life, could possibly be something AMAZING for your life later on.
Kinda like how I hated Math and English (barely passed) in high school, and had to beg my English 101 teacher in University to pass me, almost to the point where my professor would have me swear on a Bible that I would never write anything……. and then who became the Financial Planner (by the way, I got an A+ in university math!) and then became a writer a decade later?
Timing.
Tuning In.
Knowing what you want to accomplish.
Being a little picky and closed-mindedness will go a long way in accomplishing that specific vision you have.
Thomas did it.
Albert did it.
Nikola did it.
Every great thing you’ve ever seen was first completed in someone’s mind.
How clear is your vision? What are you setting out to accomplish?
Bottom Line: The clearer your vision, the less open-mindedness you will have – which is what needs to happen for you to bring that vision to reality.
For me, that means:
- I need to say a few more NO’s.
- I need to focus on my 2 current mentors for my business.
- I need to (for the meantime) stop reading conflicting business advice.
- I need to stop listening to all the advice thrown my way from the loving peanut gallery – ’cause the opinions (on all parts of your life) are readily available every time you pick up the phone.
If you want to keep spinning your wheels, stay in confusion with your vision or your life in general, entertain and follow all the thoughts that enter your mind.
No truer words have been spoken.
xx
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