When it comes to your mind – your brain – your cranium, does your mind operate in a conventional or dimensional way? How should your mind operate? What exactly does it mean to have a conventional versus dimensional mind? Oxford defines conventional as “based on or in accordance with what is generally done or believed”. Oxford also defines dimensional as “having sufficient depth and substance to be believable”. So essentially, having a dimensional mind means that you think with depth and with substance. In my business coach opinion and from both personal and observational experience, I believe most people think with a conventional mind. Why do we do this and why should we stop?
I think people turn the dimensional aspect of their brain off at a young age. I think being curious and asking questions can make you feel vulnerable. Acting, even thinking outside of the status quo is not the most popular thing to do when you are in a room amongst conventional thinkers. People may laugh at you. People may think you are strange for asking specific kinds of questions. Then we buy into myths and old-time cliches such as, “Curiosity killed the cat”. Before we know it, we, as a society have a passive mind and this can be very dangerous.
Having a dimensional mind means that you think with depth and with substance.
I’m writing my business coach blog about this particular subject because a quote by Robert Greene really stuck out to me this week. In his book, Mastery, Robert Greene writes that “The conventional mind is passive – it consumes information and regurgitates it in familiar forms. The dimensional mind is active, transforming everything it digests into something new and original, creating instead of consuming.” To suppress the dimensional mind is to drone out your life.
As a business coach, I see and speak with many entrepreneurs on a daily basis. I also listen to the Thrivetime Show podcast on a daily basis as well. On the Thrivetime Show, we interview some of the greatest modern-day entrepreneurs and pioneers paving the way for the world of business today. If there is one common trait I see in every successful client, podcast guest, coworker or mentor, they all have a dimensional mind.
Having a dimensional mind, a curious mind doesn’t just mean keeping questions and thoughts to yourself. Most of these people are always asking questions. They are sometimes asking questions about you and your personal or professional life. They are problem solvers. They use any means necessary to think outside of the box in order to find a solution. They don’t care what others think of them. If they are unsure of what you mean, they quickly ask you to clarify rather than pretending they know what you are talking about. They ask the obvious questions many times because no one else has.
We all have a dimensional mind. We all have the capacity to think in a way to solve problems and use our minds to obtain creative solutions. However, due to environmental, social or other circumstances, most of us train our minds to think conventionally. I encourage you to seek out your curiosity again. Ask questions. Think in terms of a “solution-focused” mentality versus a “passive-unfocused” mentality. This is where your true potential can shine!
