We often talk about being open minded, don’t we?
Wanting to unlock our potential.
See another person’s perspective.
The world through another’s eyes.
For some people it comes more naturally, but for most of us it can take some training.
This Or That?
We live in an increasingly polarized world.
Left or right.
Black or white.
Binary or not binary.
Climate change believer or denier, etc.
This tears our world apart, but ultimately has nothing to do with our world.
Only the way our brains are wired.
Like a computer—0,1.
Becoming More Closed Minded
Because our brain is a computer it does badly with uncertainty.
This serves us in many ways.
Knowing with certainty what a door is, we don’t get confused when faced with another door.
Our pattern recognition machine labels it door, and we know how it opens.
But this too keeps us closed minded.
Needing to label things this or that.
Spewing opinions.
Needing validation we are right, or left.
This greatly pleases our robot overlords but leaves many of us less than happy.
Happiness Is Choice
If you only know how to get upset when someone says something you don’t like…
Where is your choice in life?
You need a safe space.
The world needs to change not to trigger you because you are a robot with no choice in how you respond.
It’s not your fault, of course.
Your brain certainly thinks it’s right.
And trained without choice to accept what we already believe…
Humanity is constantly stuck in a polarity of what one thinks is left another thinks is right.
One might suggest this trend is the end of our species…
Or We Can Train Seeing Other Sides
Now, the reason I say train is because this is how the brain works.
We watch a TED talk or listen to a podcast or read some smart sounding idea on social, and think wow that’s really interesting.
But the only thing that actually evolves our thinking is training.
Watching Arnie Pumping Iron fails to get you strong and building mental muscle works the same.
Yet fortunately it can be a whole lot easier too.
Training new habits.
Having more perspective.
To be less like a computer and more happy.
Come Back To Duck Rabbit
You’ve likely seen this picture before.
Look at it one way it’s a duck.
Another way it’s a rabbit.
Stick it on your desk.
Put it somewhere you’ll see it a lot and you’re wiring your brain to see things different ways.
Is it a duck or a rabbit?
Yes.
And a whole bunch more too, because there’s always more than two perspectives, right?
This is just one example of a brain training tool.
Here’s more on using these types of Performance Tools from Track 7 in the Masterclass on Building Your Limitless Mind:
P.S. You can listen here to previously published tracks from this Masterclass.