Be A Beginner Every Single Morning

Whether you consider yourself an expert or a beginner, our perceptions of how much we “know” and how much we don’t can have a profound impact on our daily lives. I think we can all agree that the most difficult people to teach can sometimes be the ones who don’t think they need to be taught — the one who feels they don’t need to listen because they already know, right?

The moment we say, “I know,” we put a stop to our ability to know more — our cup is full, and we don’t want or need to know more.

In contrary, a beginner’s mind — a cup that isn’t already full, one that has space for learning, experience, personal growth, and life’s many lessons — can obtain a world of knowledge and experience we neglected in the first place.

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s there are few.” — Shunryu Suzuki

The Beginner

I’m sure you’re familiar with the fact that children are able to learn a huge amount while they’re still young. This isn’t only because their brains are creating and mapping neural connections at a rapid rate, but because of the attitude of the children themselves.

For those who have children; how often have they repeatedly asked “why, how, what…