Do you know people who have rigid views about just about everything? Conversations with people like this either turn into spirited debates or one-sided monosyllabic dead ends.

Even if you have a firm perspective on a given topic, when you open your mind and hear a different perspective, it can enhance and expand your thinking.

It’s beneficial to put yourself in a position to gain new points of view. You may recognize things that you previously didn’t “see”. It may help when you meet with a prospect. You may use the new perspective during a brainstorming session with your colleagues. You may even have new appreciation for your teenager’s viewpoint!

But an even better benefit exists: expanding your thinking is good for your brain. Research in neuroplasticity reveals that simply thinking about different things can result in changes in your brain’s neural pathways.

Imagine what might happen if you consciously and regularly took the time to go outside your usual boundaries to understand a different position, experience something new, or look at something old from a new lens.

You can apply this in the workplace (or at your dinner table) by asking people to talk about something new they experienced and the impressions they received as a result.

Don’t limit this to work or projects or deadlines. Indeed, the fresh thoughts that arise from thinking differently on virtually any topic can change your perception in other areas.

Give this a try and see what happens.

“Any man who reads too much and uses his brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.”
– Albert Einstein

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