Open Your Damn Mind!

As a child in elementary school, I quickly stopped being the first to raise my hand when a

question called for an opinion rather than a definitive right or wrong answer. If the question

was straightforward, like “what does 2 + 2 equal?” I was eager to respond. But when it

came to sharing my thoughts or perspectives, I held back. I realised early on that my

thoughts and opinions often differed from those around me. Time and time again, I would

listen to others’ responses and think, thank God I didn't say my answer! , assuming that if

my thoughts were so different, they must be wrong. I rarely asked questions, believing that

if my answers seemed foolish, my questions would too.

At an early age, I became skilled at listening to others’ opinions first and agreeing with

them, even when my mind was racing in a completely different direction. Fear of rejection

convinced me that my thoughts weren’t valid, that I was wrong about everything, and I

lacked the support-social or emotional-to believe otherwise.

I always knew that some of my perspectives differed from my parents’, peers and

community, but I kept them to myself because I lacked the confidence to express them. I

eventually realised that, instead of standing out or risking ridicule, I often adopted the

opinions of those around me and presented them as my own.

However, after a separation and just a few months of living on my own, I began to notice a

shift in my thoughts and opinions - ideas I had carried for most of my life were starting to

change. The more time I spent on my own and the more I healed from my past, the more

deeply I examined my beliefs. I started questioning them: Where did these opinions come

from? When did I develop them? Why did I hold on to them for so long?

More often than not, I realised they weren't truly my own. They had been learned-absorbed

from parents, teachers, society-rather than consciously chosen. It's incredibly freeing to sit

down and honestly question the origins of your beliefs. But it requires honesty with

yourself. You must ask: Is this truly what I believe, or am I just repeating what I've heard

from others?

Now, I feel comfortable with my thoughts and opinions, and I enjoy expressing them. I

understand that they won't always align with everyone else’s-and that's okay. In fact, it

often leads to meaningful and interesting conversations. I've come to embrace my unique

perspective rather than see it as something negative. I don't need to follow the crowd, hide

my thoughts, or “feel less” than for thinking differently.

Having an open mind has allowed me to experience life in incredible ways I would have

missed had I continued living with thoughts that weren't truly my own. Now, I love this part

of myself- it's not a flaw; it's a strength.

The mind is powerful, intricate, intelligent, and endlessly creative. But a mind that refuses

to consider new ideas or perspectives-one that only holds the thoughts of others- feels, in

a way, like a betrayal of its own potential.

One of the greatest tragedies of humanity, in my opinion, is a closed mind- especially one

that has been conditioned to think in a certain way. Living with a closed mind means

missing out on incredible people and life-changing experiences. Everyone has a story and

refusing to listen to tales of struggle and triumph simply because someone looks, acts,

feels, or believes differently than you is, without a doubt, a true loss.