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THE MOTHER OF ALL GREATNESS.
My iPhone is currently operating on iOS11.4. However often it is — be it once a month or once a week — I sit through the prolonged and tedious update regardless of my feelings towards it. I simply chalk it up as a necessity for optimal functionality.
We can all agree on the only way there will ever be a final software update is the day our phones become obsolete in lieu of a more advanced technology. The ongoing development is evergreen.
If you look at the species responsible for utilizing such devices surfaces staggering contrast. We, as human beings, are far more sensitive to such “updates”, clinging to our current software like the pages in a freshly-printed book. In this ever-changing world, it’s startling how many of us are unwilling to let go of what no longer applies.
What I’m referencing, if you haven’t acknowledged already, is our beliefs. These philosophical guidance principles create the foundation for everything we come to understand. A worn-out belief system makes for a pretty dim experience of life. Go ten years without a cognitive software update, you can imagine how many bugs show up in your life.
The silver lining available is something you can very much cultivate, as it’s the subject of this very article. We choose our beliefs, whether we’re conscious of them or not. Conversely, our beliefs support what traits we develop within our personality and which ones we neglect. People have the ability to change — it’s the beliefs about their ability that get in the way.
You may have guessed it by now, but if everything arises from what we choose to believe, the most essential quality to an extraordinary life is open-mindedness.
With an open mind, anything is possible. That statement alone may have struck a chord with you based on what you believe. Our beliefs are our limits. So if we leave the door to our mind open — even just a crack — there will always be a way for a more empowering alternative to be let inside (even if only for a moment).
Nothing is permanent that we know of. We’re unclear what happens after death, we haven’t given up on a cure for cancer, and we’re still somewhat on edge about if and when the Earth’s day of reckoning is coming. So why do we get so hung up about adopting a new belief?
Identity crises are real. The most overwhelming force in the human personality is the need to stay consistent with how one defines oneself. We also recognize that our belief systems got us to this point in our lives and we’re not dead yet — switching on the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality.
Mere survival, however, is primitive. With all we’ve accomplished as human beings, we fail to give ourselves much credit. We’ve advanced beyond our animalistic ways, even if we’re somewhat programmed to protect ourselves. We often settle for ordinary lives — led by the outdated, also-ran belief systems embedded from the generalizations we draw from the past. As much as it appears to be the sole option, something far grander is up for grabs.
An extraordinary life is captained by an open mind — a Rolodex of disposable views shuffled through until clear vision is achieved. An ever-evolving context highlighted by recycling and reinventing best ideas, when I refer to an extraordinary life I’m not referring to conventional success.
Conventional success is a by-product of consistently changing your approach until you reach the desired result. Unfortunately, it typically only happens in one area of life, while the others fall by the wayside (we’re not multitaskers). Those areas that suffer, however, aren’t due to a lack of understanding but rather an unwillingness to change. Adopt a spirit of open-mindedness within the areas you’re typically most attached, an extraordinary life is sure to unfold.
With as short a time we’re gifted on this planet, it’s not worth the added stress of forcing what’s no longer working — or may have never worked. We always have our objectivity available for employment and we can take on this third-person view whenever we wish. We often choose the attachment to our deepest-seated beliefs despite them sometimes being a detriment to our well-being or others.
A high horse is not where I wish to sit, so please allow me to get off. At the end of the day, it’s your life and you’re able to manage it however you want — that’s the beauty. However, should you find yourself hung up and lacking freedom one or more areas of your life, flexing your open-mindedness muscles may be as productive a strategy as anything else you read online?
Hell, if it’s good enough for Apple — Tagline: “Think Differently” — we might as well apply it to advance ourselves.
So be open to thinking differently. Your extraordinary life awaits.
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This post was originally published by www.danieljwhalen.com and is republished with permission from the author.
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Image Credits: Pixabay