My Continuing Journey to a Growth Mindset

I had heard about the growth mindset before from my health and exercise professors. In health promotion classes we learned how to use it in order to help people move from a fixed mindset to a growth one in order to improve their health and move them away from a sedentary lifestyle. However, I had not heard of Carol Dweck, her TedTalk was very eye-opening for me and made me see the things I have done wrong. Without knowing college helped me slowly move from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. Throughout my younger school years, I had always been a pretty smart student, I did the work that was assigned and studied for my tests but I never really felt challenged. I can see why Dr. Dweck says kids should feel challenged because since I didn't think the work was too hard I always would study and prepare for the minimum of what would get me the grade I wanted. When I entered college is when I first felt challenged, for the first time there was material that I just couldn't grasp or understand for the first time seeing it. I still remembered the first time I failed a test, I felt useless and like the dumbest person. I remember crying in my car and feeling like a failure. When I went to speak to my professor to see what I was doing wrong and he helped me fix my studying techniques and for the next test my grade improved it was not an A but a huge improvement.  Seeing my new grade I saw that I was not a failure but that my methods of studying and viewing school were the issues and with effort and hard work I could achieve what I want and nothing would just be given to me. I can't say I am completely cured of a fixed mindset, there are still times where I stress and feel like I can't do it and completely want to give up but I am trying to improve and grow an even bigger growth mindset.

Growth mindset: The power of our thoughts
From: The Public Square Academy twitter 

I really like the quote from above because I believe that our capabilities are as high and powerful as we think they are. Our thoughts have a lot of power and influence over our actions if we think we can't do something we most likely will find reasons to stop us from taking the challenge. However, if we think we can we will try to take all the steps necessary to prepare ourselves to take on the challenge. We have the power to lead our lives and decide who we will become and everything is determined in who we think we can be.