Opening Minds & Hearts

     Significant traumatic events, such as making a fool of oneself in public, being diagnosed with cancer, being downsized, etc have very appropriately been called "shipwrecks" - see: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/07/361-beyond-stress-management-resilience.html

     While such events feel terrible, often they open up minds & hearts that are otherwise closed, narrow, and inflexible. Such rigidity is due to fear, is very common, understandable, but pathological - see: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/01/261-psychological-rigidity-i-will.html
     An open heart-mind or psychological flexibility, is about intentionally clearly seeing & engaging with what is - see: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/search?q=Psychological+flexibility
 
     Sadly, as soon as the traumatic event passes, some people quickly revert to their former rigidity. To maintain an open heart-mind with any degree of stability, one needs to have an ongoing formal practice such as mindfulness meditation.
     A consistently open heart-mind is associated with deep resilience, authenticity, maturity, and quality of life.