Becoming more open minded can be difficult and can take time and patience with yourself. Closed mindedness caused by fear and distress about other people, or other beliefs and behaviors, can be deeply rooted. These types of fears and defensive mindsets are hard to change. That is why mantras are such a good tool to use when trying to become more open minded.
Mantras are phrases or ideas that can be repeated over and over to help reinforce a change you want to encourage your psyche to develop. This can help reinforce actions for change and create a positive outlook about the changes you are trying to make.
Some mantras you might use if you are trying to develop a more open mind are listed below.
My happiness is not lessened by other people being happy.
By accepting other people exactly how they are, I can learn to accept myself exactly how I am.
My safety and security are not lessened by other people being safe and secure.
All people are equal and deserve to have equal treatment in all things.
I might not like or understand someone but they have a right to live and be happy as they are.
Equal rights for all people do not take rights away from me.
I am strong enough to fight my fears.
My fears will not control me.
These mantras can be used alone or in combinations with each other as a series.
You can use music while you say mantras to help connect the words to a certain feeling. For example, you can put on a calming soothing type music, or something upbeat and uplifting, while you repeat the mantras which will help you stay calm or reinforce a feeling of positivity for what you are trying to accomplish.
You can say mantras while doing something creative like drawing or painting or some other visual art. This will allow the words to become associated with different colors or textures and become imbedded in the part of the mind that is connected to creativity. Even if you don’t consider yourself “artistic” you can do something as simple as color a piece of paper with a marker or crayon of your favorite color. You can also look at a photo or painting online or even a swatch of cloth in your favorite color while you say the words. This will help create positive associations with the changes you are trying to create.
You can add mantras to your meditation routine or as an aid to begin a meditation routine if you have never attempted meditation before.
Having an open mind can take practice, be hard work, and sometimes require an extreme change in how you feel about yourself, your place in the world, and other people. It can be scary and require time and patience with yourself while you do this work. Being open minded can help heal old wounds that you didn’t know you were carrying around inside yourself. Mantras can be an integral tool in opening your mind and healing the fears and underlying causes of being closed minded in the first place. Your being more open minded will help others in the world to feel more accepted and supported, so by healing yourself you can help heal the world.