An Exercise for Open-Mindedness

The more lifestyles you try out the more you can make a truly informed decision about how to live.

How could you ever say your way of living is best if you have never lived any other way?

My mum pointed out something interesting to me the other day. While living in America she was having a conversation with a friend of friend who happened to say to her "You've got to admit... America is the best place to live". To which she replied "why? where else have you lived?" after which she discovered that it was the only place he had lived.

It's really interesting to realise just how easy it is to get caught in the frame of "what I think is correct". Really take the time to try out some other things and find out if you really are correct.

In my opinion, open-mindedness is a skill and trait like any other that grows like a muscle. You can either grow it, maintain it or let it wither.

Here's one interesting reframe to try out.

Remember how you used to live 10 years ago. What would you do in a typical day. Plan it out in detail, it should probably take about five minutes.

Now for a day, go and live out that lifestyle.

See how much you have changed... or how much you haven't.

See how ridiculous some of the things you used to do were and think about how you would never do them nowadays.

Now realise that in 10 years time from now you may think the same about how you are living now.

How certain does that make you that how you are living now is definately the best way?