Beginner’s Mind

by Karina Chapman

The beginner's mind, I believe, is more open and receptive to forging new frontiers, adventures, and learning opportunities. A large, bold perspective must take place—a trust and surrender mentality. Here is a poem which I found a lovely start to the concept:

"The Beauty of the Beginner's Mind"

The beginner's mind is less likely to assume how something is going to be.

The beginner's mind is less likely to judge something or someone as it does not have a story yet.

The beginner's mind is less likely to label something as good or bad; it is what it is.

The beginner's mind is not trying to get to the end as it is not sure where that is.

The beginner's mind is without habits.

The beginner's mind is less likely to have knee-jerk reactions.

The beginner's mind is content to explore possibilities.

The beginner's mind is less anxious as it hasn't catapulted itself into the future.

By author Gabrielle Harris from her book, "The Language of Yin."

Time and Power

If you wish to practice the beginner's mind, it is better to give yourself time each day, each week, each month. Fifteen minutes of your day is only 1/100th of your entire day; spend it on a walk or a short meditation. Perhaps you find a block of solid time more effective, a week, perhaps two or even one month with free time or empty space time.

This is time that's going slow, the ability to do less, not be bothered by a distraction or thought. In the free time you need not to be anyone else but yourself. The gift of time gives you power to investigate a decision or way forward. Power over your own decisions gives you more satisfaction. Here is a quick story from my life about beginner's mind:

The scene is this, the rabbit in "Alice in Wonderland." "I’m late, I’m late for a very important date." The rabbit in the headlights was me! I have said in my mind, "I have no time; I haven't got time." The phrase can and has gotten stuck in a repeating looping fashion. The words form an emotion inside which can affect a long breath to change it to a shortened breath; the emotion forms a bodily reaction of stiffness in the muscles of my neck. One hopefully needs to realize here, the Beginner's Mind is to the rescue; it is an escape route.

So now mostly I have learned how to press the brake or stop button on my thought. I visualize Gandalf in "The Lord of the Rings." He says to me, "A wizard is never late, nor is he early; he arrives precisely when he means to. Karina, you arrive exactly when you mean to. All is well, and your timing is perfect." I made some of the quote up, of course, the meaning has to stick inside your mind to be effective. The more resistance you impose on yourself, the longer you will be limited by your own impression or story, you tell the self, of your limiting factors.

The grandest power you have over yourself is the ability to change your mind.

- Karina Chapman