A Beginner's Mind

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.”

In Japan, the phrase shoshin means “beginner’s mind.” According to the Buddhist monk and Zen teacher Suzuki Roshi, this is the goal of Zen Buddhist meditation practice—to have a beginner’s mind, a mind open to everything and ready for anything.

In his book, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, Suzuki Roshi writes, “In the beginner’s mind there is no thought…of achievement, no thought of self, we are true beginners. Then we can really learn something. The beginner’s mind is the mind of compassion. When our mind is compassionate, it is boundless.”

Keeping a beginner’s mind could also be at the heart of a successful entrepreneurial venture.

For the emerging business owner, everything is clearly in a beginning stage. Everything will seem new and groundbreaking. The idea may not be tested, the business is a new concept and the owner may be just starting to understand the complexity of business ownership. To develop a unique business model and a specific selling proposition, the new owner will need to be creative, respond to a changing marketplace, have set-up internal operations effectively and deal with continual competition. The emerging business owner will need to stay open to what can be learned and then put it into practice in the business.

For the established business owner, a certain degree of success has been attained. Yet, this business owner will still be trying to re-invent themselves and explore a consistent and effective approach to business. There is the introduction of new products, design of new services, and also outreach and retention of more clients. This established business owner will also be attempting to implement sustainable practices and a management style that is more transparent.

Staying open and keeping that “beginner’s mind” can lead to “ah ha” moments, whatever our level of expertise or experience. Through the beginner’s perspective, every business owner can stay flexible and compassionate—both within themselves and with all other stakeholders

Being a successful small business owner is a significant blessing. This is the chance to run a business just as the owner wants to do it… not how someone else is telling them to do it. Yet, the established business owners are also beginners. Every day there are new lessons learned about how to adjust to changes. Eventually the established business owner will be able to make a difference in comparison with other small businesses and  have a positive impact on the community.

As a small business owner, one can begin – again and again. The business can bring the customers, the employees  - all the stakeholders - to appreciate the beginner’s mind – one business transaction at a time.