200 Words-a-Day Challenge
Embracing Beginner’s Mind
Prompt: Day 11 of 31
Sometimes life turns upside down. That happened last week when we got word that my aunt, my dad’s younger sister, had died. Now that I’m back at my desk, I see that despite my efforts to carefully schedule out these posts and prompts, Day 12 published before Day 11. Additionally, I’d only scheduled out to Day 12 before having to make the unexpected trek for the funeral, so Day 13+ haven’t gone out at all. Such is life, and I’m not going to sweat it. Even though I love symmetry and alignment and intended all the challenge posts to neatly fall within the month of April, I won’t fill my subscribers’ inboxes with multiple posts just to catch up. Today, we return to the challenge with no backward glance.
Are you playing along with this 31-day challenge? Even if you haven’t, jump in now! The rules are simple. At least 200 words, that’s all! If you need my prompt below, use it. If not, still write. JUST WRITE. To share what you write, post in the responses below.
Embracing Beginner’s Mind
During our childhood and early adult years, almost every experience we encounter is new. It’s an era characterized by an endless stream of ‘firsts,’ a period of profound learning and discovery that lends a unique thrill to life.
Remember the exhilaration of riding a bicycle for the first time? The rush of triumph when the training wheels were finally removed? That’s the essence of the beginner’s mind. My insatiable curiosity, which I noted on Day 9, still craves that sense of discovery, that feeling of a fresh, new perspective.
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However, as years go by, I’ve noticed a pervasive reluctance among adults to embrace the concept of a ‘beginner’s mind.’ It’s as though the beginner’s mind becomes a relic constrained to the realm of youthful experimentation.
The reluctance can extend into even the most mundane aspects of our daily lives, from trying a new recipe to exploring a previously unvisited park. As we accumulate birthdays, the willingness to embody the beginner’s mindset seems to fade.
Why might this be the case? A beginner’s mind demands a readiness to acknowledge our ignorance on a given subject or lack of experience in some area. For many adults, this is too uncomfortable to allow. We prefer to present ourselves as competent, if not experts. Publicly admitting we’re novices contradicts the self-image we’ve meticulously crafted.
This is top-of-mind for me as I engage in new activities related to finally moving myself toward being a professional writer. When I’ve supported writers for so many years as a coach and editor, am I willing to publicly admit I don’t know everything about being a writer? Soooo much to learn. I must keep reminding myself that the writing/publishing industry is ever-evolving, the old models are falling apart, and subscriptions for authors is a concept still in its infancy, particularly for the genres I write.
So, this afternoon I’ll be interviewed on a podcast, and I’ll publicly admit that I’m a novice at this. And for this possibility, I’m willing — eager, even — to be a beginner.
Your Prompt / Day 11 of 31
Reflect on a time when you resisted embracing the beginner’s mind. Have you passed up chances to participate in inspiring experiences, thrilling adventures, or simply plain fun escapades because of an aversion to being a beginner? What might have changed if you’d allowed yourself to be a novice?
Thanks for joining me in this challenge! Please invite your friends.
Originally published at https://ginasquill.substack.com.
