When was the last time you saw something from a new perspective?
How long has it been since you gained new understanding, or had an “aha moment”? How can we expect to grow, to connect with others who are different from us and find common ground, if we never escape our own rigid realities? Making the choice to be curious is what creates the opening within us to expand and grow.
Through this project, we will seek out and showcase situations where individuals have experienced a shift in their way of thinking as a result of an unexpected experience. These true, personal stories will help us see how individuals were changed, and hopefully, inspire us to find an opening for growth in our own lives.
It starts with curiosity.
This project will need discipline in any of several skills to succeed, with the most important being that of curiosity. No further learning can occur in the absence of it. Making the choice to be curious creates the opening within us to expand and grow. One doesn't have to agree with new information gained via curiosity, but we’re better off with the new knowledge gained from it. At the very least, we can improve or even strengthen our own point of view through knowing another’s.
Experience over facts.
The human part of our experience is where an opening has its best chance. If we are to find an opening between each other, it will be in growing a compassionate understanding of how life experiences have shaped people’s beliefs and worldviews. As individuals, we are either open to a particular idea, point of view or belief, or we have yet to experience something that creates an opening followed by a shift in consciousness for us. There are countless factors that can contribute to the level of open mindedness one possesses, and they can differ dramatically for each of us. Without life experiences that expose us to alternative thoughts, beliefs, and mindsets, it’s very difficult for one to become truly open to them. Just reading or obtaining more information about different points of view doesn’t appear to be enough in many cases.
Creating a culture that celebrates open-mindedness.
If the project is successful, open-mindedness will beget more open mindedness. Subscribers will be inspired to find new opportunities for openings in their lives, sharing them with the community and everyone around them. They will grow to have pride in how much more so they can see the world around them. Fellow subscribers will challenge each other to seek out opportunities to have experiences that will open one up. Together, we will explore ideas, belief systems, people, places and things that we have shied away from, gaining valuable experiences in the process.