I don’t think I even knew what this meant until recently. And now it’s my Word of the Year: Mindset.
I’ve always had a pretty natural draw to positivity. It could be my personality, it could be my naïveté, but either way, I’ve never really struggled to see how blessed I am in my life. So putting an effort to have a growth mindset was never really on my radar.
However, in the last few years, I’ve been thinking more about that word and it’s potential impact on each of our lives.
Do you realize how big of a role MINDSET plays in our lives?
Mindset is my word of the year, but equally important is the word that precedes it. I’m focusing on three words that will go along with my word of the year.
Growth Mindset
The first kind of mindset I’d like is the Growth Mindset. When I make a mistake, do I believe I have the ability to learn from it and apply that knowledge next time? Or do I have a fixed mindset where I am unaware that I even made a mistake – thereby never seeing the need for improvement?
There are not many things I regret. As a matter of fact, even sitting here writing this blog post, I can only think of two things that I “regret”. And regret feels like too strong of a word for those experiences. I don’t like saying that I “regret” something. The reason is that each and every experience helps guide us to the next stage in our lives.
For the most part, I don’t make decisions that I KNOW will harm me. Every decision I make is the absolute best decision I can make, based on the knowledge I have at that very moment.
So, I don’t regret many things.
I simply learn from them. THAT is a growth mindset.
Abundance Mindset
I first hear the term “abundance mindset” last year when listening to “You Are a Badass” by Jen Sincero. She encouraged her listener to think of money in abundance. To think of it as something that comes easily, something that is attracted to me and something that has a universal supply.
This kind of thinking is scary for me. I believe that money can be used in very good ways. And living as a Christian, the verse, “Love of money is the root of all evil” is always at the forefront of my mind. However, the first part of the verse is often left out: LOVE of money. It’s often misquoted as “Money is the root of all evil.” And THAT’s where our misconception of what the bible means by this comes from.
Money is not evil. The LOVE of money is evil. When I believe that there is an abundant supply, I’m prompted to give generously & cheerfully (see HERE).
I want to believe that there is an abundant supply because I want to anonymously gift that flight attendant $10,000 to help make her dream of adopting a little one come true. How wonderful would it be to be able to provide a great home for my mom with all the help she’ll need as she ages? The idea of having my children attend any college they’d like without having to worry about loans or working 30+ hours week makes my heart sing!
You can’t tell me that those desires are wrong. Yet, they require money.
You see, money is not evil. Therefore, I am hoping for an Abundance of it this year.
Courageous Mindset
My desire for success has been there since I was a little girl.
I may not have had the best study habits in school, but I was the first 6 year old to go around the trailer park asking to shovel neighbors’ driveways for a couple of bucks.
It didn’t scare me to approach strangers’ doors to ask them if I could work for them.
That work ethic has followed me throughout the years, but unfortunately, life experiences have soiled the courage I once had with approaching people who may tell me no. I’m stopping that today. Fear will not continue to hold me back. I will move forward with courage, understanding that every “no” brings me that much closer to “yes”.
The Relationship Between Beliefs and Brain Function
The relationship between our beliefs and how our brain works is profound. Believe in yourself and realize that your ability is NOT FIXED. When you do, your brain will spark and grow when mistakes are made.
So mindset is my word of the year.
I want to have a Growth Mindset, Abundant Mindset and Courageous Mindset this year.
What’s your word of the year?
