Happy new week and to the other half of September!
I have been thinking about my future, and while thinking about it, I am certain that it is not only me who experiences a certain level of fear when thinking about it.
Our life is a series of stepping into the unknown.
One chapter ends, another begins.
One uncertainty gets revealed, and another is waiting to be known.
It’s almost as if life is a series of leaping up in faith and trusting that things will all work out fine.
It’s a series of risks we have to take throughout life.
But as human beings, we always want to remain in the certain, in the knowing.
We get comfortable in where we are and in what we already know, preferring to do only what feels familiar.
Starting something new scares us- whether it’s the prospect of starting a new job, relocating somewhere new, saying yes to marriage, starting a family or anything.
We think we must know everything beforehand.
We want certainty. We want to know how things will turn out.
The uncertainty of the outcome scares us and makes us restless.
This is why so many of us are full of anxiety and worry.
We are anxious because we aren’t comfortable with the unknown.
This past week, I have been thinking about this as I navigate my own life’s journey with uncertainty, and so I wanted to share my thoughts about it.
A phrase that came to my mind is, ‘Have a beginner’s mind’
To have a beginner’s mind is to have the attitude of curiosity, openness, and humility that a true beginner has, no matter how experienced they become.
When we keep a beginner’s mind, not knowing is no longer frightening. It becomes exciting.
As children, we all lived with a beginner’s mind.
We weren’t afraid to try.
Every new thing excited us, and we enjoyed learning new things and taking risks.
Perhaps that is why little children are a bundle of joy.
They are joyful because learning new things is a joy.
They are astonished when they don’t know something.
Instead of fear, they are curious to learn, to feel, to touch, to taste (even those things that they aren’t supposed to, like a dead rat, lol).
But as adults, we lose this joy.
We want guarantees and perfect outcomes.
We think, “If I don’t already know, I can’t begin.”
And this is the trap we set ourselves.
Yet, when I look back on my life, I see proof that my own growth came from moments of not knowing, but starting anyway and from adopting the attitude of a beginner’s mind.
I am sure it is the same with you, too.
- I didn’t know how to walk, but falling down a hundred times, I learned.
- I didn’t know how to ride a bicycle, but persistence made it possible.
- I didn’t know how to ride a scooter, but once I tried, I learnt. With time and practice, I am now perfect.
- I didn’t know how to prepare for an exam, but by starting slowly, I cleared it on the first attempt, which made it possible for me to become an assistant professor.
- I didn’t know how to start a blog or earn from it, but I started anyway, learned by doing, and now it’s a successful one.
- I didn’t know how to wake up early, but now I am a morning person, and it’s the best thing I’ve done for myself.
- I didn’t know how to speak in front of people, but as I slowly improved my self-esteem and confidence, my fears aren’t as big as they once were anymore.
- I didn’t know if I could ever go on solo trips, but I took the chance and went for it. I have done 4 solo trips so far- Shillong (my first- back in 2022), Manali and Dharamshala (2023), Spiti Valley (2024) and Dzuko Valley, also in 2024, that have all been life-changing and freeing.
Travelling solo has opened me up as a person in more ways than I can describe.
Each of these little victories came from keeping a beginner’s mind.
I didn’t know, but I was willing to learn.
This exercise reminds me how far I’ve come simply by embracing the unknown.
I encourage you to make your own list of things you didn’t know, yet eventually learned.
It will remind you of your strength whenever you feel afraid to begin something new.
How to Cultivate a beginner’s mind
Table of Contents
1. See not knowing as a gift
‘I don’t know’ is not negative. It is a gift.
Not knowing what to do with life or how things will turn out is actually a blessing, because it keeps so many possibilities alive.
Every master was once a beginner.
There was once a time when the finest swimmer didn’t know how to swim; when the finest athlete didn’t know how to jump.
Even Mahatma Gandhi didn’t know how to speak in front of the public. He used to dread with fear!
Hence, to not know is not a bad thing, but to not know and so to not start and not to strive is a bad thing!
What matters is not knowing everything, but daring to start and to take that risk.
Have courage because courage is a door opener.
2. Stay Humble in not knowing
Always be humble enough not to know everything.
Those who act like they know everything bear the risk of being arrogant.
With such an attitude, they turn a deaf ear or blind eye to any new learning or their own role in their mistakes.
They can never be a student. They will always think they are superior. It is also hard to correct such a person because they feel they know everything and refuse to see their own mistakes.
Be humble enough to admit when you don’t know.
True humility is being able to say, “I don’t know, but I want to learn.”
Another powerful phrase is simply allowing yourself to say, “Teach me”
It keeps your mind open, your heart soft, and your growth limitless.
3. Embrace curiosity
Instead of dreading the future, which is unknown or even hoping that things turn out exactly as you want, I would say, don’t hope; rather, simply be curious.
Be curious to know what might happen.
Be open to possibilities and be curious about life.
Anything can happen as long as you are alive.
- P.S Why You Don’t Need Hope and What You Need Instead
- What to do if you don’t know what to do with your life
4. Take the time
We are always looking for shortcuts.
We give up things the moment we encounter a minor inconvenience or roadblock.
Within 5 or 10 minutes of being stuck or scared, we are so quick to say,
- “It’s beyond me.”
- “I can’t.”
- “I’m just not made for this.”
- “It’s not my cup of tea.”
But the truth is, most of us simply don’t give things the time they take.
So here’s a gentle reminder, to you and to myself, to allow things to take the time it takes.
When things need repair or more learning or understanding- Whether it’s repairing something broken, learning a new skill, starting a business, raising good kids, nurturing a relationship- we have to be with it for a longer time and give them the time it takes instead of rushing and being impatient.
For example, if you want to learn photography, you cannot rush it. You have to allow yourself to give the time it takes.
If you want to be a good partner, you have to give the time it takes to understand each other, be there for each other instead of running away and wanting to give up at every minor argument.
So if you want to embrace the joy of not knowing, learn to be with things for a longer time and give them the time they deserve.
P.S Be okay with wasting your time
5. Be a student of life
Learning doesn’t and should not end with school or college.
Life teaches us until the end of our lives.
In fact, life is such a great teacher that if we don’t learn a lesson the first time, it will repeat it again.
So we must develop the attitude of a student and be a good student of life if we want to embrace the joy of not knowing.
6. Be excited, not fearful
We can look at the unknown in two ways- we can either dread the outcome and fear the future, or we can be positive and be excited about the outcome.
Either way, the time will pass anyway.
So, isn’t it better to just be excited for the result beforehand!
The universe works on cause and effect: put in the right causes, and the effects will follow.
It is like a watchful mother. Even though we may not see, all our efforts are constantly being watched.
Put in the effort and be joyful in the process.
Embrace a beginner’s mind by being excited, by being certain that you will be successful!
One way I am doing this is by practising gratitude beforehand for the thing I am going to receive.
Be as certain as a caterpillar.
Start making your own cocoon, for you are sure to turn into a butterfly.
7. Have faith
A beginner’s mind trusts the process.
Clarity comes when we take the journey, not before it. To have a beginner’s mind, we also require faith.
To make your faith strong, pray. Prayers are powerful because they make us powerful.
And if you don’t have enough faith, pray to have faith.
As Abraham Lincoln said, “Without divine assistance, I cannot succeed; with it, I cannot fail.”
Walk into the unknown with faith in your heart.
So I’m reminding myself this week to have a beginner’s mind and to live being open, curious, courageous and excited when it comes to my thoughts about the future, instead of worry and anxiety.
Faith and anxiety cannot live together.
I am telling myself that every “I don’t know”, every uncertainty is not an obstacle, but is an invitation. An invitation to learn, to be curious, to grow, and to discover the endless possibilities life has in store
Every “I don’t know” holds the seed of discovery; we must just be willing to dig deep.
xx
P.S This was a part from my Mindful Monday Newsletter. To receive my newsletter directly to your inbox, subscribe below. It would be wonderful to have you ❤️
Journal Prompts of the Week
- What is something in my life right now that feels uncertain or unclear? How can I see it as a gift instead of a burden?
- Where in my life am I pretending to “know it all”? How can I soften and say, “Teach me” instead?
- What are three things I once didn’t know but learned through patience and practice?
- What’s one small thing I can start this week, even if I don’t feel ready?
Blog Post of the Week
- 100+ Creativity Affirmations to inspire you to create
- Empty Notebook Ideas to Fill your Blank Notebooks
Quote of the Week
One from Others
The best surfer out there is the one having the most fun
— Phil Edwards
One from me
When it comes to impressing the Universe, be stubborn.
This much for today!
I wish you a wonderful week ahead
Past Newsletters You might Like:
- On The Ordinary things that aren’t ordinary at all
- Lessons from Plants and the gift of paying attention
- Quiet Acts of grace and the way things inter-are
- It is the heart that is important
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