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"This little gem of a book offers sage advice..." 
Fred Brock
The New York Times

Too Young to Retire, the perfect retirement gift for those who aren't calling it quits, is available where
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Cultivating Beginner's Mind

"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few." - Shunryu Suzuki

Beginner's mind is a concept invented by Zen master, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, to describe a mind that is child-like and 'not already made up.' It's a curious, inquiring mind, open to what comes, with no preconceived ideas or expectations. Many of us approach our second half of life -- the so-called 'retirement years' --with habits of mind that can hinder or slow down the process of change. Of course, transition takes time and effort, as well as introspection, research and some risk-taking. Ready to think out of your own comfort zone and see where it could lead.  Try these Ten Ways to Experience Beginner's Mind.

1. Other-handedness. Spend a few hours, half a day or longer, switching hands, e.g. Brush your teeth, comb your hair and butter your toast with your left hand if you're a righty, etc. Practice awareness of how this feels inside and/or make some notes to yourself.
    

2. Here's a version of the dictionary game that can be revealing about one's tolerance for not knowing. Open a dictionary and choose a word you are not familiar with and use as often as you can, in speech or writing, for a whole day.
    

3. Ask your partner or a trusted friend to blindfold you and lead you through your own environment for 10 minutes. What did you discover about the space and its contents when you were dependent on your other senses?
    

4. Attend a service in a religion or denomination different from your own, e.g. A Buddhist temple or mosque. Take it in, take it all in.
    

5. Sign up for a class in a subject you would normally avoid, math or accounting, auto mechanics, line dancing, and so on. Note how it felt to be 'lost' in a different world, and what personal resources you had to tap to hang in there. Note it down and learn.
    

6. Turn the sound off during your favorite TV program and see how much of the story line you can pick up through lip reading and body language. What else did you notice?
    

7. Write instructions for an activity that is second nature to you for a small child or someone whose use of your language is limited. What did you notice about your sensitivity to another person's age or culture?
    

8. Walk in someone's shoes by shadowing a willing subject for an hour or two, at their place of work or during a familiar routine. How was it to just watch? Note it.
    

9. Found poetry. Gather a stack of magazines and a pair of scissors. Cut words or phrases that interest you into strips and paste them onto a new sheet in the form of a poem. If images rather than words are your thing, try Found Art. From your stack of magazines, choose images, words, swatches of color, logos, anything that appeals to you and create a collage. Note how this felt while you were doing it, and after it was done.
    

10. Talk to a stranger about anything other than the weather or other safe subject.
    
    Good reads to cultivate beginner's mind:
    
    Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki
    
    Learning to Fly : Reflections on Fear, Trust, and the Joy of Letting Go by Sam Keen
    
    Send other ideas for beginner's mind practices: marika@2young2retire.com