In the latest Good Intentions episode we’re talking about two things I love: books and personal development.
I’m reading a book called Built Through Courage by author and podcaster Dave Hollis and in the book he shares stories that relate to how you can become more authentically you and use that authenticity to step into courage. One of the stories Dave shares in the book is about an experience he had in his career when he was in his early 20s. I mention his age because the point of the story he shares is that he was able to turn a no into a yes in his career because he possessed, in his words, “the hubris of a 23-year-old” that made him believe he could achieve anything he wanted as long as he set his mind to it.
And in the book, he invites us to think about how we lose that confidence, or hubris, the older we get, because we listen to other people’s limitations and let them limit us. Dave challenges his readers to approach tasks with the wisdom we’ve acquired in life + that confidence we possessed as youngsters.
I connected what he was asking readers to do with a concept called ‘beginner’s mind’, a zen concept of approaching something new with an eagerness and openness, and an almost childlike curiosity. For me, beginner’s mind is an attitude of just diving right into something without fear because it interests you, to heck with expectations or other people’s opinions.
If this concept intrigues you, I encourage you to listen to the entire 11 minute episode here and embrace the confidence and fearlessness of youth.
Amanda Bretz 