Growth Mindset

Growth Mindset : 

 "Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs." -Pearl Strachan Hurd

Words are part of speech and everyday life, but the way we use it, is what is ultimately important. When parents tell their children that they are not smart enough or for example, that they need to get an A in the next exam to avoid being grounded, it can affect the child severely. The above quote by Pearl Hurd stuck with me, because once something is said, it can not be undone and it can create what author Carol Dweck call a 'fixed mindset'. I am quite familiar with this term, and as a child, I was never good at mathematics. I used to tell myself that I am dumb and that math kicked my butt. Never in a million years did I think of how these words could and would affect me. It controlled my mindset and I had to teach myself to think differently. 

I became familiar with the term in high school and during those years, I was the student (as Dweck mentioned in her article) who always compared myself to my peers, hoping that I was not the student with the lowest grade in the class. I had a fixed mindset and thought that I will always be like that. As I evolved throughout life and everything else I did, it became evident that I had to change my way of thinking in order to grow and it helped me tremendously. Throughout my years at OU, I was able to implement different ways of learning because of a growth mindset. Never giving up, always trying my best and believing in my abilities is what allowed me to prosper in life and accomplish my dreams and that is why the below image resonates with me.  I am now able to view setbacks as a learning curve and push harder to overcome these.

(Cat In a Tree. Source: Cheezburger)