Do you have an open mind? You do? Great then read on.

First what is an open mind? Well, to me it is accepting new ideas. It is acknowledging new ideas and applying it. Of course it can portray a variety of meanings to other people, but to me it’s about getting new ideas. Or should I say, “Getting new and helpful ideas”.

What is the importance of an open mind? A person who is open-minded improves personally. Why? He recreates his belief patterns to a more useful sense. He dumps the beliefs that doesn't support one’s success and includes new ideas that are actually helpful. A person who rarely holds in fresh information has a terrible time getting along with others. They are stuck with their outdated beliefs and find it difficult to mingle with others. They are uncomfortable in accepting changes, because they are trapped with what they know.

How bad is relying on what you know? How bad is it really? I’ve classified the people who are contented with what they know in to two: passive and active. The passive narrow-minded person ignores everything that is happening and just lets everything be. He is the type of person who would not bother for more information and is totally reliant on his knowledge alone. On the other hand, the “active” charges to a decision even though ill-advised. I’ve known a person just like this and he once engaged in a deal that he didn’t know was a scam. He lost a lot of money during the process. He rushes through things quickly without proper research of the (in this case) “deal” he was about to get in to.

Here are some tips to an open mind.

First is knowledge. Equip yourself with knowledge all the time, especially when you are about to make a decision.

Second is to listen. Be a good listener enables you to actively share insights about good ideas.

Third is to observe. Being observant makes you aware of changes.

In settings where we are not familiar with, a person with an open mind can accept what he doesn’t know. New concepts will not stay “new” for long because the open mind understands that it needs more knowledge for a certain subject to be familiar. An open mind is also not afraid of criticisms, because criticisms make up for drastic improvements. Follow the three simple steps and you'll learn how to have an open mind. Have great day!