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Today’s Miracle Moment is About the Power of the Beginner’s Mind.
There’s a story from Japanese Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki about a professor who went to a Zen Master. The professor asked the Master to explain the meaning of Zen. The Master quietly poured a cup of tea. The cup was full but he continued to pour. The professor couldn’t stand it any longer, so he questioned the Master impatiently, “Why do you keep pouring when the cup is full?” The Master said, “I want to point out to you that you are similarly attempting to understand Zen while your mind is full. So first, empty your mind of preconceptions before you try to understand Zen. If your mind is empty, it’s always ready for anything — it is open to everything.” The Master went on to say:
“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few.”
Our culture often shies away from any notion of being a beginner. We feel embarrassed about not having the answer and think we should know everything. The power of the beginner’s mind lies in this paradox: the more you know about something, the less likely you are to keep your mind open to more learning
Your next breakthrough isn’t in what you already know — it’s in something you don’t know.Ā
If we were already completely enlightened and had all the answers, we wouldn’t need to learn. It takes the willingness to be vulnerable to have a beginner’s mind and to embrace the unknown.Ā
Our friend and mentor Jack Canfield, creator of The Chicken Soup for the Soul series, is a great example of this. He’s taught seminars for 50 years, and at every workshop he attends, he still sits in the front row with a notebook taking notes. He always shows up with a beginner’s mind open to what he doesn’t know — and that’s one of his secrets to success.
The beginnerās mind is about having a childlike mind that’s open, eager to learn, and sees new possibilities in the world.
The toddler doesn’t beat himself up for not “toddling” the first time. He just gets up again and again and again. When we aren’t burdened with the responsibility of needing to know everything we think we’re supposed to know, there’s room for a youthful energy to rise up within us. We become more flexible, more adventurous, and more ingenious. From this place, we can see new solutions in any situation.
This week, we invite you to embrace the unknown so that you can stay open to your next breakthrough, inspiration or creative solution.
Let us know in the comments section what ways you’ll embrace the beginner’s mind this week.
Intrested to know miracles years
I am certainly not a BEGINNER with this SHIT of MS after now 38 years of living with it….I could only change the FATIGUE into super ENERGY which I am happy about but never walking again because of FOOT-DROP and living with NO BLADDER certainly gets old wearing POISE pads and normally 3 DEPENDS several times a day, when changing your pad.
And yet you are alive.
You are reminding me how much I have to be thankful for. Thank you.
We can be so used to living a normal life, we forget how wonderful normal is.
May you fully know the inspiration you supply to others.
It just like gravity. Only if you understand this, and you get yourself up again and again.š
Very true Darleen awareness is the key to co-creating space for miracles to occur!
Much love to you!
My dearest Fran,
I too have been diagnosed with MS, but I went out into a field in Nowhere, America and yelled at the universe (God) āI donāt accept MS!ā. 10 years have past and I have had 1 (one) known relapse (under a lot of stress), started prescribed medication, had an reaction, stopped meds and have been fine since.
You are a divine person, one made with a perfect image, do not let āmankindā tell you any different. Your mind controls your body, change your thought pattern, change your body and outcomes.
Yes thank you for opening to us. I had a miracle when I was struck down and paralyzed and had so many miracles that I finally walked after laying still and being turned over every four hours for six months! But fifty years later I am cranking the door to miracles open once more! Just the miracle of the divine breath every few seconds is where I am starting! And she just keeps giving me another breath! What a glorious miracle!šā¤ļø
This was very helpful I am truly grateful for reading both your books I am a member of Dear Jody’s program Chance for Change Institute I have learned so much since being a part of her program and reading both books very inspiring and encouraging and am forever grateful for all of you who are a part of the program thank you again for all you do I enjoy learning new things šš„°
Thank you for these words!
If some knowledge is given to a person and he has received it, it becomes her/his responsibility to put it to good use for benefit of others. If she/he fails to do so, this is a matter of irresponsibility and in fact, it is breach of trust. Because she/he has been given that piece of knowledge with the belief that she /he needs it at that stage of life and will put it to good use of the humanity, in a selfless manner. Hence, further knowledge in any field will get blocked by the nature and in fact, it is certain to be denied due to her/ his neglect of the duty to utilize it for benefit of others. Do you want to know more and more of the unknown? Then one has to keep her/ himself in beginners’ frame of mind.
I like your spiritual explanation! We are social creatures and sharing is something we all can do.
Thank you for sharing your insight.
Yes I have given back after miraculous healing from severe spinal injury and paralysis. But life and stress and loneliness set its and I collapsed my miracle zone, forgetting what I knew to be trueš¤! I thought I would wake up quickly so I could help others but all of a sudden I am 77. No longer 25 when my mind heart could open to possibility! So my only new miracle is She give me one more breath! Yes she just granted another breath! And ooop yet another! I have a hard time finding the websites for my classes and get so frustrated but the ultimate gift, the miracle of life in each breath keeps coming! Loving that gift of life and happily greeting each miracle blessing! Oops thereās a deep breath! š¤š„³ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
Very Insightful.
Thank you.
“Begin Again” spoke to me in that ‘just doing’ has been ‘miraculous’ for me. However, the doing again hasn’t been as lucky. I think in telling myself after every ‘beginner’s luck’ to ‘begin again’ I may have more successes. In the twelve, seven plus five, energy system format the twelfth is correlated to the color brown (brown is beautiful & holds all other colors), gravitational ground, final relaxation (shavasana), elongated breath, agency, existence, smartly writing a happy process and ending (bohi) as well as beginning again – this is known through the work I do as a Yoga Therapist – Thank you for the reminder!
Beginner mind is energetic and responsible. It may be our ego that stops us from knowing more. Being aware and curious is what I need to strive for.
Thank you. That is very helpful. For the last year as I have been studying, I have felt like a beginner and sometimes I think, am I ever going to get it? But I just need to remain open to learning every day, so I think I am doing it the right way.
A beautiful reminder, thank you!!
I feel like everyday is new day for new beginnings and a new better me I truely want to learn all I can but I also try to see everything from all sides with new eyes
Thanks for the encouragement and validation to begin and begin again at 61. Beginning is ageless:)
Absolutely! <3
I read this book many years ago & still it is my favorites. It spoke to me & it changed my life. Glad Dr Sue & Marci introduced it to our miracle group this year. Valuable in so many lessons it brings us all! Blessings to you all!
I had a stroke 5 years ago that affected my left hand.
I go up and down the see-,saw of hope and discouragement. I will try to see each day with a
Beginners mind and be open to a miracle,
This idea of opening every day with a beginner’s mind, reminded me that was just what my dad did. Everyone loved him because he was always so interested in what they were doing or learning, etc. And he was very well educated and accomplished. A good reminder that at 80 I can still have a beginner’s mind about whatever comes my way.
The beauty of a “beginner’s mind” shows up in the face and eyes of the children…infants & toddlers I used to work with as a Speech-Language Pathologist…when they laughed over something silly or the AHA Moment in leaseeing something new for the 1st time! Viva los ninos!
I love the idea of ābeginners mindā. It explains what I feel right now in a positive manner. Ever since Covid hit our area I have done many projects and read new books as I have not been out on the world as much. And because is knee surgery and a couple of accidents I have been unable to drive. All this has opened a world of possibilities that I know nothing about so every day is a new day of ābeginningā.
“everyday is a new day of beginning”….we absolutely love this!
I am thrilled to have found you. I am 70 years old and six months ago I met a being of light in the shape young man who has been helping and encouraging me with my journey to growth towards a a beautiful and abundant life . My first task was to look into a mirror and say I love and accept myself , I love and respect myself and I am willing to change. Repeating this affirmation all the time and continuing with it for 7days. Canāt tell you just how hard that was and I actually had to go and buy a mirror and have a real mental fight with myself before I could start.
Since then my life has changed, growing better , beautiful and more abundant in every way. Some highlights
Health issues have healed, I no longer go through life saying sorry (was an unwanted child) so apologised all the time probably for actually existing) my home has gone from a place I was very unhappy in due to past abuse ( I am forgiven my abuser and set us both free) to a bright welcoming comfortable place thatās my sanctuary. As I continue on my journey and work on letting go, forgiveness and gratitude and love to name but a few I often think of myself as an onion!!! As one layer is peeled away another is revealed but the important thing is to enjoy and be present in every moment, the past is gone the future is being created by our own thoughts and actions and having the child like attitude means every single thing I do is an adventure and I really appreciate the blessings that flow to me
Thank you š
Thank you!!