How To Have An Open Mind To Be Successful At Pro Cheerleading

Life is a never-ending learning journey. Every day there are new things discovered such as dieting methods, healthy foods, fasting styles, workout programs, skincare routines, hair care routines, and makeup application techniques. All of which are essential requirements for pro cheerleading.

Aspiring cheerleaders who foster a close mind will find themselves outdated and even ignorant of the trends which could lower their chances of passing pro cheer auditions. For current pro cheerleaders, open-mindedness is even more important because it helps develop peaceful relationships within the squad through proper communication.

Open-mindedness also improves a pro cheerleader’s performance and presence because the pro cheerleader listens to the coach’s lessons. To be an open-minded aspiring and current pro cheerleader, here’s what you need to do.

1. Warm up your mind before opening it

Opening up your mind cannot be done overnight. You must first ease it by accepting that everything you believe isn’t 100% true. Other people have different perceptions of reality and you must understand that. You may think your body is fit for pro cheerleading and others may think you’re chubby to be a pro cheerleader.

2. Hold back your anger when you hear different opinions

There are times when other people’s opinions irritate us the moment they come out of their mouths. It’s not because they’re wrong or right, it’s because of how they say it. It may be their fault but it also isn’t right for you to react negatively.

If your coach or squadmate gave you feedback that your makeup style doesn’t look good, don’t get mad or harbor grudges at them. Instead, remember those words later because they might make you improve as a pro cheerleader.

3. Fight confirmation bias

The reason why we have and defend our own opinions is because of belief. This, in turn, creates a confirmation bias - an attitude where one finds supporting evidence to validate a belief while shutting out contradicting data. Confirmation bias is a very unhealthy thing to have for aspiring pro cheerleaders because it can cause mistakes in audition preparation.

It’s also very hard to overcome. For example, if you believe that it’s okay for a pro cheerleader to constantly eat sweets because other women do the same without gaining weight, you might find yourself actually gaining weight causing you to fail at consecutive auditions. The first step to fighting confirmation bias is to be aware that you have it.

4. Know your blind spots

With a close mind, it’s easy to point out the mistakes of others but not when it comes to pointing out your own. To know your blind spots, ask someone to help you find them. You could be thinking that being a good dancer and a makeup artist with a fit body is enough to be a pro cheerleader. When in reality, you have failed to notice that you need to be confident and practice your stage presence as well.

5. Meditate

It’s not just one’s perception of reality that causes close-mindedness. Time can also be a factor. A chaotic world can make even the most liberal person a bigot. Ever catch yourself saying, “I’m too busy to think about that,” due to a lot of things you do as a pro cheerleader?

Meditation is one of the best remedies to slow down the world so that you can think about your coach and squadmate’s advice for dance rehearsals.

6. Don’t be afraid to ask questions

Another way to foster an open mind is to live with curiosity. When a fellow audition candidate or a fitness expert tells you to go for strength training instead of cardio, ask them why. You’ll learn that it will be beneficial for the auditions because it makes your body compact which is perfect for an athletic look.

Ask yourself questions as well such as, “What do I know about pro cheer auditions?”, “How much do I know about them?”, “How trustworthy are the sources I read for online pro cheerleading articles?”, “Have I considered other sources for additional knowledge aside from the website I frequent?”, and “Do I have biases that influence my thinking?”

7. Make open-mindedness a habit

When you have successfully done all the aforementioned tips, it’s time for you to do them regularly. That means being open to advise and the opinions of others without being immediately defensive or irritated.

Close-mindedness is hard to overcome especially when you have been that way for a long time. But remember this, when somebody says something you don’t like, new to you, and contradicts your beliefs, don’t get mad or be defensive. Just take a deep breath and ask them why.

Live a successful pro cheer life by reading these blogs:

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