The Beginner’s Mind
I’ve been applying the ‘beginner’s mind’ to my blogging this last week and loving it. The beginner’s mind is look at everything as if you are just starting out. We move from ‘I know it all’ to ‘I know nothing. Let me start finding out.’ When we temporarily put aside what we know, and apply the beginner’s mind, we find new ways of doing things.
In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities.
In the expert’s mind, there are few.
~ Suzuki Roshi
My Ten Things of Thankful for this week. (Also linking in to Laurel Regan’s Today’s Gratitude List)
- The September Blogging Challenge – the joy of writing, reading and commenting re-discovered.
- My post, 50 Life Lessons From 50 Years, was picked up for reposting on Midlife Boulevard, a website for women in midlife.
- My post, Memorable Wayne Dyer Quotes, got a mention in this post from Marina of Mindful Memory Keeping. Thanks, Marina.
- Being nominated by Karen of Magical Mystical Mimi for the Inspiring Blog Award (more about this in another post).
- Rain, at last.
- Creativity in the kitchen – I love ‘recipeless’ cooking!
- Discovering a lovely Irish serial – Mrs Brown’s Boys – I can’t seem to get enough of it! People who know me well, know of my Irish connection! I’ve been laughing as I blog – I watch these on YouTube.
- Making a couple of friends happy in a simple way.
- Being inspired by young, Dutch blogger – Astrid. Do read this post of hers to be inspired.
- For enjoying love, health and plenty – things I never take for granted.
PS: Those of you doing the #septemberchallenge might appreciate this post from Blogelina – 80 Tips For Finding New Blog Post Ideas.
As part of my August celebration, I revived #AnythingGoesOnSunday – an invitation for you to add yours link for your Sunday posts to the linky below. No theme, no prompt – anything goes! However, I’d appreciate if you left a comment and visited at least two of the blogs linked before yours! The linky is will be open for the whole month.
This made me smile because it is what I have been forced to do for the past couple years. I am a beginner in so many things now and coming from the place of “I know nothing.” Your post helped me to realize that this is not necessarily a negative thing!
Glad that it helped, Carol!
Your 50 life lessons were very inspiring for me. This whole week I felt I was not able to express myself clearly so I avoided commenting and replying to comments. I guess I should go back to the beginning but where to begin from is also a question for me.
Mrs. Browns Boys! I’ve seen one or two of those and now that my computer is so much faster I may have to check out more of them.
I cook some things without a recipe, but usually that is only because the recipe is memorized. Meat in particular takes some care for me to prepare. Being a vegetarian, I don’t taste test as I go.
Love your beginner’s mind quote and picture..if everyone could live that thought, I think a lot more could get accomplished because you wouldn’t have the know-it-alls taking over and telling everyone how, why, where and when to do things. I think everyone would be a lot happier:)
It’s a message that bears repeating, Kim! 🙂
Isn’t that a wonderful way to greet each day? By looking at things with a fresh perspective and away from the comfort of ‘knowledge’ such that we can absorb with learning. As we grow older, I am reminded constantly by the words of great souls who make us pause and think of these things well.
Really good to see your ten things of thankful list, Corinne.
The beauty of such a way of thinking is the many ways it can be applied in our lives, Shailaja. And you’re right, the wisdom of the ages is so precious to us – if only we would tap into it more.
The concept of beginner’s mind sounds great. Using it would really help in looking at things with new eyes and enthusiasm. Congratulations for so many blogging achievements. Way to go! 🙂
It is a fab concept, Shilpa. And thank you!
I’m grateful for meeting you, your awesome!!!
And you’re my twin, remember? 🙂
The September Blogging Challenge has been fun, and I appreciate your retweets and visits to my blog. I am a relative beginner in a new adventure – care giving of an elderly in law – and I stumble around, discouraged at times. I should go back and look at myself from a less critical standpoint. I am also thinking of how I would look at my blogging as a beginner with 6 years experience- it is an intriguing concept.
You’re very welcome, Alana.
Caregiving is very challenging, no doubt and I admire how you make the time and effort to blog besides your work and other passions. You inspire me!
Sometimes when I’ve been working on a project for some time, my productivity with slow down. Then (when I remember) I will go do something completely different for a while – going for a walk, working in the garden, etc. – and that hits my ‘reset’ button and I can go back with fresh eyes. Have a super week Corinne!
Yes, that works great too, LuAnn. Have a wonderful week yourself!
Love the philosphy of Beginner’s Mind, Corinne. It helps us into achieving great things, like unlearning what we know to learn new things:)
Right you are, Vishal!
I love the term “recipeless”.
🙂
Ha ha! Thanks, Kerry!
Thanks for the nudge in my blog Corinne..
It means a lot to me.. Thanks a lot…
I hope to write soon..
This ‘beginners mind’ concept seems very interesting…
Will definitely check it out …
You’re welcome. And if you’d like some more nudging join our Write Tribe group on FB.
Looking forward to reading your posts soon! 🙂
Sometimes one meets someone in this blogging world, that seems like a dear friend even though we have never met. I certainly feel that way when reading your posts. What posts I have read of yours are so uplifting. Although I definitely started out cooking by following recipes, at this stage in my life, not having to follow a recipe all the time is fun. The only problem is I don’t always remember exactly how much of something I put in the dish. It makes it hard to duplicate it again. 🙂
How nice of you to say that, Pat. I take it as a compliment. Thank you.
I know what you mean about duplicating something. My husband tells me to document the stuff I try out and I tell him that half the fun would be lost in doing that. 😉
The concept of Beginner’s mind is interesting. I observe this in children,as they start learning from scratch. Unknowingly, I use it a lot in my professional life, especially when I have to prepare test strategy.
Congrats for being featured in Midlife Boulevard Corinne 🙂
Ah I can see how that fits in with coding, Mahati. I like to use it with my relationships too, sometimes!
Thank you!
I’m sure I commented on this post a little while ago Corinne but it has slipped into the ether! It was a great list of things to be grateful for and I’m grateful for your September Challenge too 🙂 ~ Leanne
Sorry about your earlier comment, Leanne. Couldn’t find it either.
So glad you’re a part of the September Challenge!
Hi Corinne,
I know Kim and Carol Graham. Congratulations on your nomination! Thank you for starting this linky party! I look forward to getting to know your community.
Janice
Glad to have you here, Janice. You’re welcome to add your link to the linky.
To be able to gain a fresh perspective on something you have become jaded doing is always a wonderful way to start afresh 🙂 I might just linkup for Anything Goes next Sunday 🙂
Yes, a fresh start is great!
You very welcome to add your link next Sunday.
The beginner’s mind concept sounds interesting – though I can imagine it would be rather challenging to implement! Thanks for sharing your thankfulness list – very uplifting and inspiring. 🙂
It is, Laurel. Somehow it’s all about changing perspective and it’s actually pretty easy to use this, if we want to.
I love the lines about the beginner and expert minds. Very true.
Lots of good things happening – thanks for some of these links! I’m going to check out the September challenge and the tips for blog posts ones for sure.
Have a great week, Corinne!
Thanks for stopping by, Lisa.
I’ll be joining ‘Anything Goes’ next Sunday! I love all these linkys! I like to think I have a beginners mind. I feel 5 years old every single day and every single day is new and bright and interesting to me.
I look forward to that, Karen. I agree about your having a beginner’s mind – it shows!
I love that idea the ‘beginner’s mind’. What great way to find some inspiration. I need to write more and I have ideas, but between juggling babies, mom, and then on top of that husband has been on vacation I haven’t had time to think. Hopefully things will slow down once I have our routine a little more established and he goes back to work tomorrow. I’m publishing my first piece on Rena’s World tomorrow hope you enjoy it.
What great words- beginners mind:-) Really liking it, dear Corinne:-) Heres to being constant learners, humble to new knowledge. And your gratitude list made me smile- happy for you, lots of positive things going on in your life. Hugs 🙂
Yes, here’s to us, indeed, Eli! Thank you!
This post is informative and the beginners mind is an eyeopener. thanks for sharing this.
Glad you found it useful, Ajay.
Loved the idea of ‘beginner’s mind’, of keeping an open mind to learn and explore.. Interested in taking part in the Sunday blogs. Just need more info on how to add the link and stuff..