If Your Mind is Empty it is Always ready for Anything. In the Beginner's Mind there are Many Possibilities. In the Experts Mind There are Few.
Suzuki-Roshi
Why was I so afraid of being a beginner?
I wanted to discover all the secrets beforehand. To my mind, it was ludicrous to go into any venture and not have some grand advantage. Little did I know being a beginner was my advantage. Approaching any project, mission, goal, or even life with no preconceived ideas prepares you for the quest of discovery that will change your life for the better.
They call that fresh and unsullied perspective the Beginner’s mind. And that can lead to breakthroughs. It’s one of the few states where you can be genuinely creative. Instead of looking at your lack of experience like an obstacle, think of it as a springboard to a better career, a better understanding of the world, and a path to a better you.
Relax, You Get to be a Beginner.
“When we adopt the mind of a beginner, we endeavor to look at things as if for the first time, free from the influence of the past or speculation about the future. We open ourselves to what is here now, rather than constructing stories about what we think is here. Much like a scientist who observes without bias, Beginner’s mind allows us to collect raw data. This opens us up to new possibilities, rather than being confined by habits and
conditioning.”
— Tracy Ochester, Attitudes of Mindfulness: Beginner’s Mind
Tracy sums up a Beginners Mind perfectly. And that’s where I want to be. But most writers feel the Experts Mind is where they need to be.The Expert mind is an attitude adopted by someone who believes they have gained enough experience to know how certain things are done. This often results in a narrowed perception and performing tasks in an official, established way, while dismissing alternative ways of dealing with the situation.
Hell no!
I’m in a constant state of improving my skill, and the only way I can do that is with the mindset of a beginner. If you know anything about my writing career, you would have realized I haven’t taken the traditional route to publication. I dived in without considering agents, book deals or trending subjects. I write what I’m passionate about and consider this Self Publishing journey an adventure. I didn’t wait for someone to find me; I published my books. Instead of
waiting for someone to give me permission, I steamed ahead, learning on the go with zero preconceived ideas.
Now that I’m starting to gain fans slowly and my name recognition is so much better, I’m going to focus on becoming a beginner again.
Why?
Granted I’m biased, but I want to get better, bust through barriers, make a difference, disrupt my field the only way I know-how.
You can be certain of one thing, though, the journey won’t be boring. It will be scary and exciting at the same time, and for me, it’s the most exciting way to live.
Your life and career will get stale if you don’t cultivate Beginner’s mind and reinvent yourself over and over again. You should have no 5-year time spans that resemble others. If you do, you’re letting your life atrophy. No change means no struggle, which means no growth. Which means decay and death.
Decay and death maybe themes I use in my books, but they are not the choices I make for my life. Let’s clear our minds and go back to being a beginner. Bring back that childlike curiosity we had when we first started doing something. Bring back that optimistic, sometimes slightly crazy person who started believing anything was possible.
Bring them back and watch your life transform.
Peace
Order your copy of my Young Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy Joshua N'Gon: Last Prince of Alkebulahn, HERE and don't forget to leave me a review, when
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Joshua N'Gon's Masata or RCT. It can transform into any tool hr imagines.
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Thank you.
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