OK! So I have made up my mind. That is all there is to it! Nothing is going to change it!

We hear this so often, especially when it comes to politics or religion or our opinion about the guilt or innocence of some notorious person.

It's as though we don't want to ever be proven wrong. We are fanatical about our beliefs. It is our experience, therefore it must be! And, we are emphatic about it.

"I'm too old to change now!", we say.

Yes, I heard that recently and from someone who, when it suited them, when they needed to create the right impression, had previously told me they needed to learn something new everyday to keep going.

Contradiction? Perhaps. Or is something else going on?

How can you expect to improve yourself if your learning strategy does not provide an open door to any new learning?

Closed Minds

We close our minds because we believe we know enough to make up our minds. Every day we make assumptions, pass judgement or use our learning strategy to limit ourselves and the world around us.

These are the belief systems by which we navigate our event-filled world. 

From primary school onward we are encouraged to be interested in social studies. There are events going  on in our families, our communities, our province or state, our country, and our world. We really should be aware of all  these, even if all of this information is negative or more than we can handle.

For most of us, the information is not useful, does not contribute to our daily lives because it is about something over which we have no control. We must either become totally unemotionally involved or we must simply turn ourselves off from gathering any more information.

We cut our World down to a size that we can handle. We want to close out any more information before we become overwhelmed.

This is exactly what happens in our elections when such small percentages of the population turn out to vote.

At some point we just give up. Even our dreams are of escape or flying or avoiding monsters.

Maybe we have some minor flaws. No need to expose ourselves to change. No need to drive to some guru's office to get help.

We can just turn on the escape box, game box, TV or DVD player and watch about some one else solving their problems. They get to fix their lives while we sit there feeling superior.

After all, living only requires enough knowledge to gather food and have a roof over one's head. We can make up every thing else or better still, just ignore it.

We only need to make up our minds. It doesn't really require much information. Since we have enough to satisfy ourselves we can just pretend we know.

Pulled Two Ways

Now I am pulled two ways, live in ignorance or live to learn.  As pleasing as living in ignorance sounds, just being and flowing with the punches, does not satisfy my curiosity.

My curiosity pulls me forward, into the unknown, because I see some bright beautiful object there. I am like a baby, seeing a new toy for the first time. I wonder what it taste like, if it makes a sound or if that sound is pretty.

Unfortunately, I often leave my old toys behind because there is always a new one that I have yet to explore.

Just when I begin to get used to how to play that particular game or move the toy around, I see something else that is more exciting, brighter because the colors of my old toy have faded from habituation.

Is this the right way or the wrong way to live?  Is judgement necessary? Only if I feel it is a limitation.

If I want change, and the price is giving up an old habit, is it not my decision to make?

And, if I truly want to get that new toy or acquire that new skill and I truly believe in my destination, will I find it difficult? I don't believe I will.

Getting there is half the fun.

And if I am enjoying doing whatever it takes to get there I do not consider that work. In fact, there is never enough time to do all the fun things I want to do.

It is all the things I need to do that get in the way and they are very hard work.

Joy to me is believing in myself, not because it is an effort, but because I need to make mistakes. If I didn't believe in myself,  I would never get to where I want to go.

 If I want to play guitar, or acquire some other new skill,  then getting the callouses on my hands is a small price to pay. Learning the scales and the notes on each string are a simple challenge. Mastering chords all over the neck are just part of the fun.

You see, to me learning is the motivation. If I can't learn something new from something I am doing, I become bored.

Now where have I heard that before?

Well, I've made up my mind! What about you?