A Helpful Reminder When Things Feel Hard...

Let's be honest. This is hard work.

Now might be a good time to remind ourselves that having the freedom and ability to search for more fulfilling work is an incredible privilege. The fact that we’re wrestling with such tough questions means that we’re in a fortunate enough state to do so. We’re knocking at the ceiling of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: Self-Actualization. But just because this is a problem of privilege doesn’t mean we should stop wrestling; these questions are valid and worthwhile.

Image via Gallery No. 8

As Marianne Williamson says, “your playing small” and ignoring the big questions doesn’t serve the world", nor yourself. The more people are doing work that matters to them, the better off this world will be. If you do feel overwhelmed with the difficulty in extracting and understanding your ingredients, take a moment to remind yourself how much of a privilege it is to be able to struggle with these questions. A small dose of gratitude and appreciation can keep you going.

Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset

When things feel most difficult, it's helpful to reflect on what kind of mindset you have in this moment.

Psychologist and Stanford University professor Carol Dweck studies mindset and how it impacts our success and lives. From Fixed vs. Growth: The Two Basic Mindsets That Shape Our Lives (BrainPickings):

One of the most basic beliefs we carry about ourselves, Dweck found in her research, has to do with how we view and inhabit what we consider to be our personality. A “fixed mindset” assumes that our character, intelligence, and creative ability are static givens which we can’t change in any meaningful way, and success is the affirmation of that inherent intelligence, an assessment of how those givens measure up against an equally fixed standard; striving for success and avoiding failure at all costs become a way of maintaining the sense of being smart or skilled. A “growth mindset,” on the other hand, thrives on challenge and sees failure not as evidence of unintelligence but as a heartening springboard for growth and for stretching our existing abilities. Out of these two mindsets, which we manifest from a very early age, springs a great deal of our behavior, our relationship with success and failure in both professional and personal contexts, and ultimately our capacity for happiness.


Read the whole article here >>> Fixed vs. Growth: The Two Basic Mindsets That Shape Our Lives (BrainPickings)

What kind of Mindset do you have? Can you continue to develop and adopt a Growth Mindset?

Complete and Continue