Keep an Open Mind. Transform Your Career.

Be open & receptive

No matter how hard you try to discover yourself and your passion, it’s not going to work with a close-minded attitude. Why? Because true and profound self-awareness is one of the biggest – if not the biggest – challenges in one’s life. In fact, it’s not even a goal. It’s a dynamic process that takes place, and will continue taking place, till the end of your life. The moment you believe you’ve learned, or you know everything about yourself is exactly the moment when you need to restart immediately exploring yourself! For the simple reason that you and your identity are dynamic. That is, they’re being and will keep on being molded throughout your life; day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year, decade by decade…

Why? Because your identity is not fixed. It’s determined by your beliefs and behavior. But the beliefs and behaviors you have developed do not have to be the same for a lifetime. That’s right. You have the right and power to choose; to choose staying the same or choose to change the ones that do not serve you.

Besides that, people, new personal experiences, intense emotions, life and social crises, as well as unexpected events in your life are just a few examples of factors that can make a great impact on your identity. And they can take place at any place and any time.

That’s why keeping a wide-open mind and being receptive to new concepts, ideas, mentalities, tools, and methods are not just a few helpful guidelines. They are an absolute and non-negotiable necessity if you want to discover what you’re passionate about and find a career with more impact and fulfillment. Otherwise, there’s no point in reading any of the following words in this book. There’s no meaning in wasting your energy and time – our most valuable asset and currency. Because you’ll be able to try out new things throughout this book and new activities in the real world. This book is not simply a source of motivation. You can find plenty of motivational videos on YouTube. This book is about supporting you to change your mindset in order to discover and pursue your passion and achieve anything you truly desire in your career and life. It’s about giving you true and authentic inspiration, as well as making sure you’ll have a lasting change for the best of yourself. That’s what we call transformation.

Remember: The more open and receptive you are, the greater the benefits you’ll reap from this book, in every area of your life.

Be curious 

If you’re wondering right now how you’re going to be open and receptive in case open-mindedness doesn’t resonate with you and your personality, here’s your solution: Curiosity.

By becoming curious about yourself, the people around you, and the world, you start becoming more open and receptive; until the point where openness and receptiveness become ‘‘second nature’’ to you. In other words, they come naturally to you. At that point, you’ll have already adapted the ‘‘Growth Mindset’’. This is the mindset that is based on modesty, self-awareness, and your strong willingness to learn more and become more. It’s the right mindset for you to become the best version of yourself. And the key to achieving this is curiosity. That means you need to be both curious and keep on practicing your curiosity. How? First, stop labeling and judging yourself or others. For example, you might be in your job search right now and ignore job posts that have a title that does not appeal to you that much. Although the job title itself is a label, it would be wise for you to have a quick look at the job description to check if this role is indeed not a great fit for you. But you aren’t going to have that quick look if you don’t stay curious.

‘‘So what?’’, you might say. You may deprive yourself of a unique opportunity and a role that really resonates with what you’re passionate about. For what? Just a simple title (label)?

Another example is when you identify (label) yourself with a specific area or role in your life, such as your career and job title. ‘‘ I’m a doctor/lawyer/sales professional/manager/engineer/CEO’’, you name it. Although you need to write something when you need to fill out an application or a formal paper, it’s important for you to avoid identifying yourself with it. It’s part of you, but not your whole identity itself. Because the last one is much broader and deeper, and that’s why it cannot be labeled. So, when you identify yourself and your potential with a title, like a job title, you automatically exclude all the other possibilities of what you can do and who you can become. 

Don’t get me wrong here. Focus is important for both a successful and fulfilling career. On the other hand, it does not have to be forever. Yes, you might have had a successful and fulfilling career, but you might feel now or in the future that you want to move on. And this is absolutely ok! Because, as we’ve already underlined, your passion is dynamic, hence it can change. Because you can change as a person, as well as your values, purpose, interests, and vision. But if you identify yourself with your job title, you will label yourself. The result? You will be stuck in a career that you don’t love anymore, just for the sake of the past. And you’ll continue being stuck. Unless you stay curious about yourself and others. I included ‘‘others’’ because you cannot segregate a skill based on your preferences. You cannot be curious only about yourself and not others, or vice versa. Whether you are curious or you’re not. Because curiosity is a skill, given that it can be taught. And your skills, like your natural talents and strengths, are also a part of who you are. And once you build them, you apply them in every area of your life, whether you’re conscious about it or not.

If you have great negotiation skills, you use them both at work to get the best deal possible for your employer or your company and in your personal life. It might be to get a discount on your new car or incentivizing your children to do their homework and watch less TV. You name it. 

So, stay curious about yourself and others. And the more curious you are, the more open and receptive you become, and the more things you’re going to learn and discover about yourself. Because remember: 

Your passion is a constant self-awareness and discovery process.

Feel free to connect with me on social media by visiting my personal site JimPanos360.com