Today, I want to talk about the idea of a fixed vs. growth mindset. I am sure you have heard of these ideas before. In a fixed mindset, you believe you have to prove the qualities you already have. You have a static kind-of lifestyle where you believe what you are now is all there is to your personality, character, and intelligence. You believe you have no way of changing and making yourself better.
In contrast, a growth mindset has a more powerful impact. In a growth mindset, you have determined where you stand at the moment and where you want to be in the future. You aim to grow through changing your habits and thoughts. This is what we all want to be. But, how often do we actually think like this?
I feel very passionately about these two learning styles. In school and work, so much time is spent praising and giving importance to grades and performance, that the idea of growth and the desire to learn disappear from people's lives.
I did well in school not because I liked having good grades, but because I am sincerely passionate about learning. I want to learn. I want to learn everything and anything (sometimes, I feel this is more of a curse than a blessing, but that's another discussion :).
When you have a passion for learning, you can never stop growing. You see the world as something that is continuously changing. You see yourself in a place that requires your continual improvement in order to keep working. You seek to know how things work together and how you can influence them, because you believe you can. You believe you can change with the changing scenery.
You know, sometimes I think that it would be great to finish school and just work at one thing for the rest of my life. Then I get this feeling that if I stop going to school, I will miss out on so much new information. So, I have made it my goal to continue learning.
I find books that interest me about almost anything: History of the English, Thoughts on Life and Death, How to be a Better Conversationalist, The Environment and Us - Living Sustainably, and more and more. I am intrigued with life's connections.
What are you interested in? Maybe it is not something that you are doing now, but I encourage you to do it. I think you are already beautiful just the way you are. But, if you knew how more beautiful you look when your eyes are sparkling and illuminated when you seek out what you are passionate about, you would do it all the time.
Failure is not something to be afraid of when you are seeking to learn. Train your mind to see the positive in your weaknesses and "failures", so you can make them work in your favor. Never seize to learn and expand. The universe is doing it, so why not do it, too? :)
Be strong, be unique, and step outside of your comfort zone!