In our lives—academic, personal, professional—we encounter experiences that we characterize as “success” or “failure.” But perhaps it might serve us well if we refrained from making such a sharp distinction, and instead used a framework to process experiences without the judgment of these labels.

Shunryu Suzuki wrote, “In the Beginner’s Mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.” Possibilities are presented to us in every experience, and using the framework of a Beginner’s Mind means consciously working to see those possibilities.

Join James Valentini, Dean Emeritus of Columbia College and Professor of Chemistry, for a small-group discussion on using Beginner’s Mind to move past the dichotomy of “success” and “failure” at Columbia University and beyond.

This dinner seminar is co-sponsored by Columbia University Religious Life and will be held at the Schiff Room in Earl Hall. It is the first in a three-part series with Deantini.