THE POWER OF AN OPEN MIND
1-12-08
So what makes a person operate with an open mind, and thus make more spiritual progress? Apparently, the decision to do so is all that is needed. The decision then guides things like true self examination and evaluation and the release of old ideas that work against a person, toward the acceptance and incorporation of new ideas, that then activate and support change. Without an open mind, none of these actions can take place because the person will never see or hear enough new information to take in anything except what they already know. This is where I’d say, if my practice is any indication, about 40% of the world resides in their head and spirit. This is why the world is a mess, and God is allowing us to deal with it, with little intervention until we unlearn this malady of self involvement that keeps us from having an open mind.
Therein lies the problem. It is not likely that anyone would knowingly choose to stay “stuck on stupid” by choice, when even they can see that there is something wrong. I am speaking of the group of folks that come to me primarily; because I know first hand that they have identified an issue, because they did in fact come to me. So it is not a broad group, but one already seeking answers. That puts them in good standing to be ready to change at some point, because they have at least identified the fact that something other than their own way of seeing the world, might be of use to them on their spiritual journey. That’s a great step. But what happens after that first step to the 40%, is confusing.
However time, it seems, does heal and fix all things, as long as one is working. Even the 40%, does not usually stay stuck entirely, but makes some change, usually in accordance with the things that are most painful in their lives. So since I have observed that this happens, I’ve tried to examine what common factors cause the slow down or halt, at the places where people do stop their trek toward growth. Though 40% may not make any significant changes, of the 60% who do, about 35% to 40% make some changes, and then stop. It is that rare 20% to 25% that actually attacks a reading like a job, and studies to make the changes real and concrete almost 24/7 that I am amazed with. Most of us range in that 35% to 40% group, me included, though the longer I do this, the more I dance between this group – the sometimes stubborn – to the 20/25% group – the never stubborn, or in other words, closed minded. The terms are generally synonymous it seems.
Since I am also affected by this syndrome from time to time, I’ve looked at this phenomena to try and determine how we, the thinking and reasonable people who are looking to find spiritual answers, get to and hit this wall. When others in that 20% rarely do, which ultimately is the goal. The common denominator from what I can tell, is that when we are confronted with a concept that is against our present belief system, we stop letting in new information, and thus we stop taking the action that works toward moving us steadily forward, spiritually speaking. In that manner, we stop our own show, but if we don’t give up, we will come back, find that stopping place that immobilized us, and push through it.
A good example of this is in that wonderful Visa check cashing commercial in which all of these young people – must be teens and in their twenties because of the things they can do with their bodies – are in a clothing store buying things, and everything is moving along famously, fine, like a well oiled machine. And then this young man gets up to the counter, after a mind defying robotic, disjointed, floor to effortless standing walk (if you can call it that) to the counter and pulls out his check book. Everything stops, because he has slowed the progress of forward movement by this one little glitch that stopped not only his, but everyone else’s entire interaction. He quickly figures it out, changes gears, pulls out the check card and everything begins to flow freely again.
That’s what this stall in spiritual development is like, caused by the actions of a closed mind. It is a stall that stops all movement not only in our spirit, but in the people surrounding us, and the world in which we live. This happens each and every time we stop the movement with out own inability to have an open mind and keep pushing through that which we don’t understand. It happens each time we force other people to have to bend to our will, and bend to our method of operation because we can’t be open minded enough to find a new way, or adjust to one that is going well. Often, we’d rather stick with what we know, even if it is not efficient, good, reasonable or beneficial, still, it is familiar. We have successfully protected our closed mind so that we can stay safe in the knowledge that what we have believed, is as things are. But to what end?
On a personal level, it only slows our growth. On a community level, in tends to make us plan foolishly, for the protection of ourselves and our own small concerns while we ignore the larger group – or more germane, the ideas of others that are not our own, but require a broader perspective, or an open mind. When that concept is carried out into the global community, we have a hot mess! And has anybody noticed? That is exactly what we have.
So when presented with a personal opportunity to adjust our particular mode of operation and exercise an open mind, it behooves us to do so, so that we can flex this ability and make it stronger, and thus move from self, to small community, to larger global community, so that when we have the technology and abilities (and it is coming folks, eventually) to move into a universal community, if we have not mastered this ability to move differently from a closed mind, we will take our same bad habits and consequent messes with us. We will not be trained or able to function in an environment with others who have mastered this skill, and we will all suffer. So let’s work harder at finding and keeping an open mind, and reducing the down time for open-minded thinking to 0%. That way, we spend more time being productive and moving forward, like the incredibly flexible young man in the Visa advertisement.
Such a great metaphor they developed in a seemingly innocuous television commercial. An open mind, creates greater flexibility, and thus forward movement. Let us all strive for that for ourselves, and the world. It is no mistake that God put us in this training ground with all the obstacles. We have to work to learn this concept and put it to use in every conceivable situation. The key word is “work”.
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