It's All About Mindset

by | Aug 11, 2016 | Acceptance, Growth, Recovery, Relationships, Self-Help

I’m traveling through Europe. While preparing our itinerary I read countless posts for accommodations, activities and places to eat. I found completely contradictory views of the exact same experience time and again. Thankfully we are not clones so it makes sense to me that I would find differences, I guess it’s the stark 180 degree shifts from one opinion to another I find fascinating.
I think the enjoyment of many of life’s experiences comes from the way we choose to look at them. Take the ‘shower’ I took this morning for instance. It’s the typical tub with a hand held shower wand and no curtain. This fascinates me. My opinion is this method of cleaning my hair and body is not efficient. Because I am not adept at the skill, I periodically spray the bathroom requiring the aid of towels to sop up my clumsiness and make the space more pleasant once I’m done with bathing. I could take my opinion and make all kinds of generalizations about the people who use this method. I could see them as somehow less than me and at times I go there. But, that never bodes well. Instead, I prefer to approach the experience with “Hmmm…this is curious…I wonder what this is like for the person who lives here?” Then I move on about my business. This approach helps me stay away from becoming judgmental and arrogant and shifts my mind into a place of appreciating different ways of accomplishing the same task.
This skill is helpful for just about any encounter we have with this life. Approach with curiosity, not judgement, and you will find far more enjoyment! 🙂