The Power of Calling in the Explorer’s Mind Perspective
Intensely rich moments leave very clear memories in their wake. While living through the actual experience, you suddenly feel hyper aware of everything. Exhilarated and slightly afraid at the same time, these pivotal moments are firey, intense and life-changing to the core, as you dive down into new territory with an open “explorer’s mind”. At times, you really have no other choice.
Most of the time, however, life is led by a more passive pace, guided by the same perceptions, habitual patterns, thoughts and beliefs as always. But what if you could harness the intense awareness you experience in stressful situations MINUS the stress? What could change in your life if you approach things with an “explorer’s mind” full of possibilities? What sense of creative freedom would be revealed?
The explorer’s mind is just like an inner detective that investigates feelings, thoughts and ideas without becoming attached to them, without laying down roots and building a house on top of them. This mindset is free of commitments and worries, leaving behind the “how’s”. Instead, an explorer’s mind embraces a feeling of exploration and adventure — without attachment — from an empowered and curious place free of any judgment. Sounds pretty awesome, right?
Some people just think this way naturally, opening up their mind to an idea and it’s numerous possibilities just like they were baby leaves in a time lapse video, reaching for the sun and growing at top speed. Even if this feels like a quite a big leap for you personally, it is possible for everyone to practice the explorer’s mind with just a few simple mindful tips.
Get back into your body. Move. Exercise. Walk. Dance while you work. Just get up and do something to feel more grounded and out of your head. Too much sitting is not only unhealthy for the physical body, it covers the mind with sticky cobwebs and keeps mental patterns and emotions spinning deeper into the same old grooves without a release point.
Feel and express emotions first, then invite in the explorer’s mind in to start a new party. In order to be fully in an unbias state, it helps to be grounded (through exercise and healthy foods, ample rest) and realize the explorer’s mind is often blocked by unresolved emotions and outdated beliefs. Spending time in meditation, journaling, even walking daily can create clarity around where you sense things are blocked. The “why” isn’t as important as noticing what’s going on within you when certain thoughts, situations or people ignite a charge (powerful reaction) for you.
Be mindful of attachment energy. Once the explorer’s mind gives you some clarity about some places to shift and grow, the next step is making a choice to move forward. It doesn’t have to be instantaneous or a grand gesture, but action is required for change. That means disconnecting from the attachment to doing things the same way you already are, and the fear that will try and talk you out of changing.
Talk to someone of like mind. It doesn’t always have to be the same person (please don’t opinion surf, that is unhelpful), but a fresh perspective from someone else’s eyes can help coax out your own explorer. That’s why it’s always so much easier to advise people on their problems than it is to find solutions to your own. When you are already emotional and frustrated with limitations on your progress “solving” the problem, you aren’t really fully open to using your explorer’s mind. On the other hand, someone else can freely and easily show up with an open, curious perspective because they are not attached to the outcome of your “stuff”. Only you are. This gives them full access to their explorer’s mind and all it’s creative ideas.
Come back to see how an “explorer’s thought” feels in the body. Sure you might notice a little “fear of change” energy, but does a new idea or thought also feel exciting? Freeing? Like you just tossed a gigantic boulder off your back? Are there new, fresh, inspiring thoughts bubbling up right behind it that feel equally empowering and creative?
That’s how you know you are on track to connecting with your inner creative process.
These simple steps can help you start to form a little path to reshape how you think, slowly and with confidence. Use these points as a guide to create your own practice you can use at any point in the day when you are facing something stressful or just to clear the mind for creative inspiration. You will be surprised how often you get in our own way, and by allowing space for the explorer’s mind to show up, it will leads directly to the creative well within.