My Personal ScrapBook: Mental Flexibility

Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be out of shape

Their rigidity of thought doesn’t tolerate freedom of expression. It is a reaction instead of a solution. Do we have the ability to handle different situations in different ways? If so, why adopt hard ways to make others believe in our ideology? This is nothing more than an expression of intolerance, narrow-mindedness.

Openness to new or different ideas, mental flexibility allows us to adjust to a changing environment. The stress we experience in life is due to the inability to accept change. People are criticized for changing their minds. “They lack consistency. They have no strength of conviction”. But what are minds for, if not for changing? Changing one’s mind is not a sign of weakness, but of flexibility and growth.

Here are some steps to cultivate mental flexibility:

When you’re listening to the viewpoint of another and are tempted to disagree with it, remember that you will be changing your own opinion in the future. So, remain open. The more ideas you have to draw upon, the more creative and solution-oriented you will become.
Did you ever notice that the only people we consider intelligent are those who share our opinions?
Don’t cling to your opinions, for they are nothing more than knowledge.
To benefit from the wisdom of others, didn’t get turned off by how they present their opinions. Focus on the substance.
Whenever the opinions of others make you feel uncomfortable, don’t run and hide. Whenever we are forced to step outside of our comfort zone, we grow.
To be flexible, we must be willing to break from tradition and habit. We must be willing to question everything.
Increase your use of the right hemisphere, which is the seat of intuition and creativity. Become more attuned to the arts, nature, and the wisdom of your inner voice.
Learn from any source you can. Friends and co-workers, books, new information is the sources of new options, which can offer greater flexibility.
Adjust your attitude and perspective. When you begin to view the strangers as friends, instead of potential threats, you’ll become more flexible.
Learn to view the world through the eyes of another. Use the power of your imagination to place you into as many as roles possible, for flexibility consists of understanding the viewpoints of others and learning from them.