Be Open To Get Forward In Life

There has been a set of ideas, going on in my mind for quite some time now, that I would like to address in this article, which is about human openness. Are we open to finding solutions to our problems? How do we behave in a crisis or a difficult situation? How we manage to go through hard times and get back on our feet again? Are we open to new people and new opportunities? Are we open to the world?

In this article I will talk about three areas you can be open to and why it is beneficial to you. What you can do, if you are more reserved. I think it is useful to talk about those topics.

Crisis Situation / Openness And The Will

What I have noticed in the last more than a year, since the so-called economic and health crisis has been developing, is that people have been cocooned, closed and not open to many things. I have found, that when we are under some kind of crisis or attack, we behave exactly like a small animal or a bug, pulling everything in to defend ourselves.

I don't think that the solution is to pull in our ears, our tails, to surrender thinking, that we are small and defenceless and that we will get through it, that it will all be over one day and everything will be fine.

I personally have been through a few crises. Work and family crises and I have always sought to see what I could do to change my situation and have been open to all solutions and options.

Here's what tends to happen: people usually start denying.

"There is no such thing, it doesn't exist, I don't believe it, why is this happening to me?

Then after a while, they realise, that the problem does exist and it happened to them.

If we have the openness and the will, we start looking for a solution. In many cases the solution is right in front of our eyes. It is almost offered to us on a plate, but we don't see it, because we are not open to it. If we are curious about what the solution to the problem might be and open to it, we will see it.

Directness And Openness

I believe, that these two qualities are either innate, so we are born open and direct towards others, or they can be learned. In my case, I wouldn't say I'm very direct, I'm more of a reticent nature, but more open to different things. In recent years, that has changed for me. I find it easier now to get in touch with people or form friendships. It has definitely brought me into a positive orbit.

To be direct and open, you need good communication skills, courage and confidence. Confidence and self-assurance do not equal ego. If, for example, you find yourself in a group of people you don't know, you will start talking to them, because you are curious about their opinions on a particular subject. This will create a conversation and you will get to know each other better, which may later turn into a friendship or it is just a good conversation that makes your day better.

For those, who don't have this trait, the good news is, that it can be learned, but you will need to get out of your comfort zone. This is not easy. Speaking from personal experience, it's uncomfortable and it takes courage to go and initiate a conversation or join a conversation with strangers. I've had to throw myself in the deep water at times, if I didn't want to be left behind. What I can say, I didn't sink. This helps greatly in developing self-confidence and self-belief.

Being open has many advantages. As well as gaining confidence, you can also make new friends, who can help you put the past behind you or help you move towards a new path. For me, my job taught me to be direct, as I met hundreds of people on a weekly basis with whom I needed to be direct.

Be Open To The World

We can be open not only to finding solutions, to solving problems and to other people, but also to everything else. This notion, that I am open is a broad notion. For example, we can be open to new possibilities, to food, to drink, to events, that we had no idea, that it ever existed. Being open-minded in general has a lot of advantages. We can learn about many new things in life, which can help us towards a whole new way of thinking or a change of perspective.

Have you ever had someone offer you something, that was new to you and you turned them down? "You said, "I'm not interested, I don't want to participate, because I'm not going to like it, I'm not going to make it " and so on. By doing this, we not only give a negative image to our fellow human being, but we also close ourselves off from things, that could change our future.

Life has a lot of surprises in store for us and we never know, where they will turn up. Here too, as I mentioned at the beginning of this article, if we are not open, we fail to see that the opportunities are there for us.

Going To The Other Extreme

There are people who are overly open, who are overconfident and consequently talk a lot, which can be annoying after a while. They always want to be in the centre of attention and draw attention to themselves.

I know someone like that. When we talk, the conversation is very one-sided, because they doesn't let me get a word in edgewise. I can't give an opinion on anything, because even if I get to the point where I can speak, they simply cut in.

Finale Thoughts

If you have confidance and you are open to anything, that is already a good thing. If you are not, try to get involved and really throw yourself in. It will worth it. You can gain confidance and a lot of things will be open up for you for the future.

Lead Image Source: https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/efacademyblog/bringing-home-open-mind/