They say you only go as far as your mind takes you. Yet, training the mind to stay positive and open is difficult; it takes time and practice as with anything else. It also takes differing experiences to evolve and work on the mind. Here are some ways you can adapt a growth mindset so that you’ll stay genuinely curious, take calculated risks and invest in yourself.
Travel
Expand your mind and comfort zone.
Travel is the best education for anyone seeking to live courageously and experience tremendous growth. Travel far and wide, more than anyone tells you to. It’s the absolute best way to expand the mind and your comfort zone. Whether it’s traveling with others or on your own, you’re bound to learn more about yourself and a completely different culture. Constantly struggling, faced with unexpected challenges and unpredictable choices, you take the lead and create your own adventure. Surrendering to the unknown and embracing these spontaneous moments is what brings us together. Travel makes you more adaptable and flexible for vulnerable moments and constant changes to come. Being able to experience everything anew and meet others from all walks of life is what enables you to develop a positive, open-minded perspective and become a global citizen of the world.
Volunteer
Be a part of something bigger than yourself.
Volunteer as much as you want, for as long as you want. If it’s meaningful to you and the work is impactful, then why not? Volunteering is highly rewarding and gives you the opportunity to gain new experiences, learn new skills and meet new people who share a common goal, interest, and passion for a cause you care about. When you work on something you deeply care about, you’re self-motivated to create a change and focus less upon yourself and more on the world and others around you. Being surrounded by other purposeful and passionate individuals also drives you to be a part of something bigger than yourself.
Attend Professional Events
Focus on your own Self-development.
When you show up at an event for your own personal and professional development, you feed your mind with knowledge and possibility. You’ll meet the speakers and other professionals who ignite the fire within you as you share insightful and relatable stories with one another. You’ll share similar excitement about a topic or a side project you’re working on. Effortlessly exchanging ideas and forming a connection, you become one another’s support. Whatever it is that you’re investing yourself in, whether it is attending a ‘Live Your Potential’ Talk Series event, public speaking workshop or a personal branding conference—your desire to learn enables you to leave the event with inspiration and a clear call to action.
Meet New People
Network and connect with others.
Meet new people by connecting and engaging with like-minded individuals as well as those who are entirely different from you. Engage with those who aren’t the same age as you, who speak a different language, and who live a different cultural lifestyle. Engage with those who challenge you, disagree with your opinions, and aren’t on the same journey with differing priorities and visions in life. This is how you learn to embrace diversity and be respectful and inclusive of the unique differences that make us stronger together as imperfect human beings. The greatest reminder to become a super connector is that you can meet people anywhere, anytime as long as you choose to stay curious, open and engaging.
Say “Yes” to New Experiences
Do something that makes you feel excited and scared at the same time.
The most exhilarating feeling is when you take the first step to do something that excites you but scares you at the same time. It could be to try something entirely new such as participating in a 10 KM run, dying your hair purple, or attending a MeetUp event on your own. It could be something bigger such as traveling solo, skydiving or working on your first book. The point of saying “Yes” to new experiences is saying “No” to your self-sabotaging demons namely your fears, doubts, and negative thoughts. Saying “No” to others’ priorities that take up your time and making room for experiences that align with your goals and values will help you grow immensely either physically, mentally, or emotionally.
Focusing on travel, volunteer work, attending professional events, meeting new people and attaining new experiences will train the mind to handle anything that life throws at you. You’ll readily respond with a mindset of achieving growth and life-long learning with every experience.
Originally published at Live Your Potential (LYP). The LYP Women’s Leadership and Career Development Program empowers, educates and enables professional women to live their fullest potential through high-impact programs and events, and a community of like-minded women.