Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn says that the richness of present-moment experience is in the richness of life itself. Too often we let our thinking and our beliefs about what we “know” prevent us from seeing things as they really are. We tend to take the ordinary for granted and fail to grasp the extraordinariness of the ordinary. To see the richness of the present moment, we need to cultivate what has been called “beginner’s mind,” a mind that is willing to see everything as if for the first time.
I have just joined an amazing choral group in my community. This has been a bucket list item of mine to sing loud and sing proud. And I’m trying to have a Beginner’s Mind about it. The truth is I have the basic skills, I can read music. I played oboe, flute, and English horn in grade school, high school and college. I took up guitar a few years ago. But my professional singing experience is limited to singing in a church choir for a few years. The first night of practice for this choral group I was given twenty pieces of music, five of which are in Latin, French, German or Spanish.
Now I can choose to get stressed out by the challenge that lies ahead or I can stay in the moment and find the joy in the process.
Beginner’s Mind means letting go of past experiences (or fear from lack of experience) and being open to new ones. Like a child playing in the sand box for the first, she isn’t worrying about the fact that she has never played in one before or how she will build her first sand castle. Instead she might plop herself down, grab a shovel and start digging with reckless abandon. Dr. Kabat-Zinn says “Beginner’s Mind means being receptive to new possibilities and prevents us from getting stuck in the rut of our own expertise, which often thinks it knows more than it does. No moment is the same as any other. Each is unique and contains unique possibilities. Beginner’s Mind reminds us of this simple truth.”
I could choose to stress out about all the work that this new commitment involves and the fear I have around not doing well. Or I could focus on the joy singing brings me and the beautiful music I will be creating with these amazing women. I could choose to focus on my lack of experience and unlikelihood that I will be able to sing all twenty songs perfectly by concert time. Or I could choose to focus on the music and my fellow singers, and the gorgeous lyrics and the happiness we will bring to our audience during our concerts.
Thich Nhat Hanh says,“I vow to let go of all worries and anxiety in order to be light and free.”
In my path to self care I have learned that having a Beginner’s Mind can release me from fear and anxiety. Now I’m going to do the same with my new singing gig in order to feel light and free.
Where in your life would having a Beginner’s Mind help you feel light and free?
Enjoy this two-minute video from The Wild Divine. May it bring you a feeling of peace, joy and freedom for your day ahead: The Wild Divine