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This month we focus on the third of
The 10 Be's of Positivity
Be Open-Minded
To be open-minded will bring such
rewards. Gifts will materialize; the world will be
yours. Joys not imagined will surely appear, if you're
open-minded, your path will be clear.
AN OPEN MIND
This month we focus on the third of
The 10 Be's of Positivity, Be Open-Minded. I, for
one, wish for an environment where the world was more
so. You know, it's 2009 and people's attitudes should be
in a place of acceptance and compassion and we only get
there if we care to have an open mind.
I'm going to share a personal observation. My boyfriend
looks like Merlin the wizard. You know - the fictional
magician from the days of King Arthur. He's a freelance
musician and though he doesn't have the beard he has
long white hair half way down his back and piercing
green emerald eyes. Little children and the elderly
gravitate to him like a magnet. Many people in-between
don't know what to think of him. But looks can be
deceiving. You would not know to look at him that he
left home at an early age and raised himself, along with
helping other homeless kids. That he self-taught himself
guitar, formed a band, made a lot of money, including
enough to put himself through college and graduate
valedictorian (impressive for someone who didn't
graduate from high school, but passed his entry college
exams anyway). Has his life been easy? Not really. Like
most of us, he made some good decisions along the way
and some not so perfect. But he's a good person with a
heart of gold and it's not fair that some people judge
him based on his appearance. When a policeman pulls him
over, based solely on his looks, it can be frustrating.
He has learned to tie his hair back and leave the
leather jacket at home to decrease the possibility of
harassment. Yes, looks can be deceiving. Many people
don't expect a long hair wearing blue jeans and a
leather jacket to have an IQ of 166, but I'm certainly
glad I took the time for our initial conversation.
I do think being open-minded can take practice - just
like strengthening a muscle, it gets stronger over time.
I appreciate the opportunity to imagine myself in other
people's shoes. What's going on in the mind of those
with different political or religious views? What about
the elderly? One day I will be a senior. What will that
be like? When I was taking sound healing training with
Tom Kenyan (a profoundly skilled
teacher/scientist/psychotherapist and musician, among
other things), he encouraged us to listen to all kinds
of music, even music we usually steered away from. How
does the music make you feel? What message do the lyrics
deliver? I have found that by doing this exercise I am
now appreciating music I just never let myself be
exposed to before. As a result, I'm more receptive to a
wide array of life experiences.
Let's practice open-mindedness as a collective
community. Let's set examples for our kids and
neighbors. Let's treat everyone like we ourselves would
like to be treated. That's a world I would be thrilled
and honored to live in.
In the Spirit of Positivity
*Make time for somebody else. You decide how.
*Hug yourself. You are deserving.
YOU are valued. Don't underestimate your importance.
Open-Minded Quotes
"Always keep an open mind and a
compassionate heart."
Phil Jackson (American retired NBA Basketball Player
and Coach of the Chicago Bulls 1989-98)
"People are very open-minded about new things - as
long as they're exactly like the old ones."
Charles F. Kettering-American engineer, inventor of
the electric starter
"If the individual is to be happy in the contemporary
order, he must be open-minded with respect to new values
and new arrangements."
Thomas Cochrane
"Without an open-minded mind, you can never be a
great success."
Martha Stewart
"The open-minded see the truth in different things:
the narrow-minded see only the differences."
Anonymous
"An open mind, like an open window, should be
screened to keep the bugs out."
Virginia Hutchinson
The Power of Positivity is to Give
Back
A few years ago, on a trip to Central
Africa, I became acquainted with a hard-working
organization called the Martin Luther King Jr.
Foundation, located in Limbe, Cameroon. The Foundation
works to promote peace, non-violence, social justice and
sustainable development in Cameroon. To assist with
their educational efforts, I started The Words Across
The World Book Project. I collect books and send them to
the Foundation, who makes the books available to all in
the community, as well as students located at a
University near the Foundation's office. To learn more
about this organization, visit
www.lukmefcameroon.org
. I sit on the International Board of Directors
for this organization and a portion of book sales goes
to support this worthy cause.
YOU
are capable of experiencing a universe of vast
opportunity. With an open mind and an open heart
anything is possible.
Being Open-Minded = an increased ability of
understanding
Daily Affirmation
I love life and life loves me !
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