A Beginner's Mind

Sweating out or trying to be in shape by doing cardio-vascular workout or maintaining a sport is I think the best form of releasing stress, and an effective means of achieving productive time.
But being busy at times and could not afford to visit my local gym, what I do instead is read Mr. John Berardi’s (www.t-mag.com). The most important advice this fitness guru gave is that achieving fitness is as important as maintaining a beginner’s mind.
Most of us take fitness at a back seat. If you are working and really busy, Berardi says this is ok. However, he cautions not to lose the attitude. Being fit and achieving muscles is a process. It starts with step-by-step toning before your body is conditioned to accomplish anything.
But unlike watching movie where you can take off from where you left, in fitness, you will have to go back and repeat the whole process should you decide to stop for a while.
This is where the principle of a beginner’s mind applies. It is that character that teaches not get tired of doing cycles; of willingness to undergo process, otherwise all efforts initiated will all be wasted.
But the principle of beginner’s mind is not limited to fitness. In fact, I find it most applicable to us, Pinoys abroad:
To those who had sad experience in our country, it teaches us not to be afraid and face our fears;
To those who failed and surrendered to the nation’s battles, it equips us and encourages us to take chances once again;
And to those who have given up being Filipino, it lets us focus on our being, and asks us whether we can really escape who we really are, and the fact lying out there that nobody can help us but ourselves.
A beginner’s mind is one of the most profound way of learning anything. It is emptying our cups of preconceived ideas and getting rid of “been there, done that” attitude.
By developing and applying the principle of beginner’s mind in our lives, we will learn not to dream in vain, and always ready to move on our way to success.