Openness and Learning Mindset
As a kid, it's typical of us to be curious about the world. We'd frequently ask questions and look at things in wonder of how they came to be or what they are. It was because of that curiousity, that we were able to learn and grow. As an adult, having an openness and learning mindset entails being vulnerable and accepting of change; it's how we evolve overtime. When we challenge ourselves beyond our abilities and skills, only then can we truly learn.
Imagine you have a lock inside your mind, holding your abilities hostage. Eventually, you find a key and unlock it, thereby leaving those abilities vulnerable. Well, what if that lock and key was actually you? You can either be the lock that considers your abilities to be unchangeable or fixed, or you can be the key that leaves yourself open to experience and growth.
Let's think about this as two distinct concepts: a fixed mindset vs. a growth mindset. With a fixed mindset, you believe your intelligence and capabilities are set in stone. As a result, you avoid challenges, give up easily when faced with problems, view positive feedback as criticism, etcetera.
Conversely, when you believe that your intelligence and capabilities can be improved and/or developed, you're able to adopt a growth mindset, which results in being receptive to feedback and challenges, viewing the success of others as inspiration, accepting problems as opportunities to persist and learn, and more.
I used to be scared of challenging myself, as I would consider it as leaving myself open to judgement and criticism. Additionally, I had a fear of failure. It wasn't until I intentionally embarked on a self-development journey, that I realized the importance of moving beyond my comfort zone.
I discovered that when I challenged myself, I was able to leave myself open to new experiences, and even if I had failed, it was not a setback, but rather a stepping stone to either try a different approach or move towards a new direction. Consequently, I was able attain self-improvement and increase my self-confidence and skills. When I find myself resistant to change, I use the affirmation, "I embrace challenges because they allow me to grow". It reinforces the idea that continuous learning and growth is possible.
I now invite you to reflect and share your thoughts on the following:
- What makes an openness and learning mindset essential to your growth?
- What are some barriers that prevent you from having an openness and learning mindset?
- How can you practice having an openness and learning mindset?
@hopefulDew435 Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing part of your self-development journey with us. I also thoroughly enjoyed the concept of the lock and key.
An openness and learning mindset is essential to my growth and wellbeing as it allows me to improve and evolve my capabilities. For instance, in order to be an active listener that is able to empathize and be attuned to members’ feelings, I must be open to differing views. When I am inquisitive and considerate, it allows me to attain vaster knowledge of the topic.
One barrier that can prevent open-mindedness is that it requires greater cognitive effort to consider other perspectives. Especially, when dogmatism is being displayed by the other person.
Some ways I practice having an openness and learning mindset is via active listening, hearing what the other person says without interjecting, considering that there are always more than one perspective in what is being said and asking questions to seek to learn more about the topic.
Thank you again for taking the time to post this and share these engaging questions. 💓
@GentleHealingInitiative
Hi there, Gentle. No problem! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and giving such an insightful response. I liked that you mentioned being open to differing views as a listener; having that ability is quite important. I definitely think that it helps us to learn and evolve as listeners.
I do agree though, that it takes an increased cognitive effort to be open. But it also shows how much strength and patience we can extend and practice whilst fostering a safe space. Also, I admire the ways in which you practice having an openness and learning mindset. It is a pleasure to have such a compassionate and understanding person like you within this community. Keep being you and allow your openness to flourish! 💖
@hopefulDew435 Thank you as well for your considerate and thoughtful feedback as well as your compliments! I truly appreciate the time and patience taken to do this. Indeed, I also echo your sentiments regarding openness and learning mindset.
@hopefulDew435
Having a learning mindset is essential to my growth. Without it I wouldn't continue to learn, travel, have new experiences, improved relationships or strive to be the best version of myself. For me it's also important for me to model that mindset for my child to observe. 🙂
@Frankie111
Well said, Frankie! I particularly like your last point about setting an example for your child. I think that this specific mindset is not a concept that is given much consideration, as it pertains to that, and so, the more we think and talk about it, the more change we can hopefully create, both within ourselves and those who look to us for inspiration/guidance. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences.
@hopefulDew435
Having a learning mindset is essential to my growth. Without it I wouldn't continue to learn, travel, have new experiences, improved relationships or strive to be the best version of myself. For me it's also important for me to model that mindset for my child to observe. 🙂
@hopefulDew435
I totally relate to your thoughts on curiosity and growth mindset.
I used to be so afraid of failure, thinking it was safer to stay in my comfort zone.
But like you, I’ve discovered that embracing challenges can lead to real growth.
It’s eye-opening to see setbacks as stepping stones instead of roadblocks.
thanks for an awesome post dew!
I can definitely relate to the fear of failure, judgment as preventing me from trying new things and learning.
I think it's important how I look at mistakes as opportunities to actually reflect and do better. They don't have to be a bad thing, even when they feel like they are! With trying to challenge the inner thoughts can start to step outside comfort zone because there are so many awesome things to learn and try in this world! Shouldn't let fear steal those opportunities
@CaringEzra
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Ezra! When we do things in spite of fear, it makes us brave, and I can tell, based on your response, that you are quite brave, which is indeed so admirable! I love the point you made about mistakes not being a bad thing, even if they feel like it; that's extremely important to remember and be mindful of.
Thank you so much for writing such a much needed post. I was able to find so much value from it because it's something I'm struggling with too.
1) Openness and learning mindset is essential to my growth because it helps me become more resilience, whenever I'm facing a challenge, instead of breaking, I transform to get one step closer to solution due to being open to more thoughts other than judgement. Learning mindset helps me replace the judgement mindset. I almost forgot that mistakes are a part of learning, mistakes are just incomplete informations and the more mistake I make the more I'm able to see things completely- that's how openness and learning mindset helps me grow.
2) Barriers: I have limiting belief thanks to my perfectionist parents who has these beliefs because they had to survive a situation where they were judged harshly for being human. Society at large is still lacking compassion and empathy which makes mistakes more costly and something that comes with severe consequences. The anxiety that comes with the possibility of making a mistake is thus valid.
3) I can show myself more compassion and love, understanding, everything I needed but didn't get from the external environment that programmed me. I can give myself space to safely make mistake and sit through the discomfort and hold myself lovingly to show my body that it's safe to make mistake and even if others beat me up for it, I'd defend myself unlike previous times, when I used to beat myself up first so others won't be able to. Most important thing for me to learn is to give myself grace. To provide myself the understanding that other people have been unable to give me or themselves. So many things out there is ready to make my life harder but I'll vow to be the last person to do that.
@hopefulDew435
Hi Dew. I would like to share my thoughts about the second and third question you raised.
One barrier I can think of is the cultural backgrounds. I have been to different countries (most have different cultures). People from these places all have different lifestyles, so it is quite hard for them to understand people in another culture.
A way for me to practice this learning mindset is to keep curious, especially during listening. When a member mention something I fail to understand, I always ask questions about their culture, what is the common practice in their society, what are the common values shared by local people. This way I can learn more about their life.
@hopefulDew435 Great post!
An openness mindset is essential to my growth because it helps me have the space to connect with people from all walks of life! I find that when I meet people with different life experiences than my own, my perspective grows, and thus, I grow!