Growth Mindset

We all know that we have abilities that we can share with society. And at the same time, we are also aware of our shortfalls and of the things that we wish we can do, that we think we cannot. Our minds are the living electricity that connect us to our bodily functions and make us effective in our day-to-day lives and push us to achieve that which we desire.

Some of us don’t have the talents of a singer, painter, mathematician etc. Sometimes, we wish that we could be like them as they succeed in their craft and enjoy the fruits of their super excellent traits.

The book called, “Mindset” by Carol Dweck gives guidelines on self-improvement and how to develop ones skill set and knowledge. Facing challenges and overcoming them, indeed requires more than just a talent. They should be accompanied by confidence, trust, thriving on adversity and adaptability.

Samuel Thomas Davies, who is well known book reviewer,  has summarized this book and its big ideas:

1.      “The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.”

According to Siddartha Gautama, “What you think, you become”. This has been my mantra as well in all these years not just professionally but also personally. It is deeply rooted in my being and has helped me a lot in dealing with situations when I need to reflect and engage in self-motivated talk.

2.      “Believing that your qualities are carved in stone—the fixed mindset—creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over”.

Our brain is changing its form all the time. It is elastic, dynamic and full of endless possibilities. Of course, the environment, certain events, people and the symbiotic relationship of them all, contribute to our development. So being adaptive and open to new strategies lead us to where we are right now. And where we can be.

3.      “People in a growth mindset don’t just seek challenge, they thrive on it”.

Surviving is different from thriving. Thriving for me, is facing challenges with pride because I know challenges can make me become better at what I do. I always feel that it is important to embrace difficult times and find the best possible solution.

4.      “The growth mindset does allow people to love what they’re doing—and to continue to love it in the face of difficulties”.

This is true. Life is not always rainbows and butterflies. Sometimes, things you love to do can turn out to be that which makes you actually lose your confidence, in your craft/profession. Even the great scientists and inventors felt lost at some point in their lives but they remained true to their craft and moved forward with what they loved, taking the lessons that they learned with them.

5.      “Those with the growth mindset found success in doing their best, in learning and improving. And this is exactly what we find in the champions”.

This last idea really hit the homerun for me. Learning and improving are the main ingredients for growth. We are not static beings. We are dynamic. We move like water and we are continually changing.

 My question to you…what changes did you experience in your life that you felt were the catalyst to inspiring you to be different today from how you were 10 years ago?

 Submitted by:

John Adduru

on February 4, 2022

Reference:

https://www.samuelthomasdavies.com/book-summaries/psychology/mindset/