|
|
 |
|
|
The 5-Minute Life Tune-Up! |
|
 | A New Year, A Fresh Outlook |
|
|  |
 The dawn of a new year, for many of us, is a time of reflection and future planning. Sometimes it takes the form of conventional New Year's resolutions and other times it's really just taking stock of the past and setting intentions for the coming year.
When I think of the start of a new year, I think of new beginnings and new learning and growing. Even though in reality, New Year's Day is just another day, we can decide for ourselves that it's a threshold to something fresh, new, and purposeful. We can look at the year ahead with the eyes of a child, seeing a sunrise for the first time!
In Zen Buddhism, there is a concept called Beginner's Mind or Shoshin, which means an attitude towards learning of openness and eagerness with a lack of preconceptions. In Shoshin, even those who study at an advanced level approach learning as a wide-eyed beginner! If we can approach our New Year with Beginner's Mind, we can come into 2013 with an openness and a welcome to whatever is ahead of us.
How do you feel about being a beginner? Beginner's Mind is a difficult thing to acheive for some of us. Interested in warming up the role of "beginner" at work or in any of life's pursuits? Read on. |
 |
Tune-Up! |
| | |
How do you feel when you are new at something?
What are you starting up in 2013? Do you have a new job? Are you trying out new behaviors? If you chose to make New Years resolutions, you are embarking on either a brand new pursuit or something you've tried in the past that didn't go as far as you'd like it to. Either way, approaching any new start can be daunting.
We may worry about not knowing enough, not being succesful, or not sustaining the energy to continue. And, especially when we are brand new at something, starting from scratch, many of us feel shaky and uncertain. And, we may compare ourselves to others who are ahead in the process which only makes the feeling worse.
So, what would be different if we approached everything - new or otherwise - with Beginner's Mind? Here are a few benefits of an attitude of pure openness:
- The childlike love of learning! As kids when we discovered something new or approached some new skill such as tying our shoes, we didn't have that "adult" feeling that we already should know things. We were excited to learn. When you are in a new pursuit, prompt yourself to recapture that moment as a child when everything was new and wonderful.
- Take off the pressure of being the "expert". No attitude can set us up for feeling like a fraud or not good enough like the feeling that we need to always be the expert at something! Of course, gaining competence is important, but being a perpetual learner is more important, in my view. With the Beginner's Mind, we are always learners instead of experts.
- Every day is a fresh start. An attitude of Beginner's Mind keeps us in the present rather than worrying about the future or thinking what was wrong in the past. When we approach our new pursuits with a lack of preconceived notions, we are free to look at them as beautiful "right now" moments to embrace.
|
|
|
The Challenge! |
| | | Your challenge for this month:
If you are setting intentions or making New Year's resolutions this year, try out the framework of Beginner's Mind. Do a paragraph of journaling (or if you prefer, a conversation with someone close) on the topic of being a beginner and approaching your intention with complete openness and willingness. Make a special note of what specifically would change in your approach with the new outlook. What would be different than how you've done it before?
Email me when you've completed the challenge to let me know what you're learning. As always, I'd love to hear from you.
|
|
|
|
|
for a free sample
coaching session.
Molly~
call me at 617-625-6804 or
Coaching can happen from any
location by telephone or by Skype.
Geography is not a barrier! | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
