I was first exposed to the idea of the fixed and growth mindsets by watching an interview on YouTube on a show called, “Impact Theory.” The interview was done with Carol Dweck.
To have a growth mindset, it is useful for us to become comfortable being uncomfortable.
Some of the best advice I’ve ever heard is this:
Don’t be afraid of looking stupid. Be afraid of conforming.
Going through painful experiences, suffering because of the definitions and meanings we attach to those moments, and feeling the discomfort that comes from this normal life experiences, is an important part of growth and progression. Experiencing massive trauma sometimes jolts us out of our comfort zone and eventually leads to massive growth. Sometimes, the struggles we experience during the process of learning how to work through the pain and learn to live with it, rather than doing things that will serve as a temporary escape from the pain, serves an important purpose, and teaches us resilience and coping skills, while providing us with strength we never would have otherwise acquired. In this way, trauma and suffering can actually be looked at as a blessing in disguise.
While I believe it is true that, as a society in general, we are becoming more and more emotionally fragile and weak, I think it is still possible for us to practice and build up emotional resilience. Some of the best ways to do this are through consistently doing hard, difficult, challenging things. In the IMPACT THEORY interview with Sarah Wilson, some of these things are revealed.
PAIN EQUALS GROWTH. GROWTH EQUALS HAPPINESS. It’s okay to experience pain. It is there to help, not hinder, our personal progress. It is there to enhance the enjoyment of this human experience by forcing us to grow and learn in ways that MOST of us would never choose to.
I think it is possible that when we CHOOSE to step out of our comfort zone, the Universe, which was designed from the beginning to conspire on our behalf, no longer will have the need to push us out of our comfort zone.
We all go through extreme difficulties in this life. It is part of life. It is part of the growth process.
When lifting weights, the goal is to break down, rip, tear, and destroy, in order to go through a period of rest, recovery, and healing. This is the process of growth. The most growth we experience happens not because of the hardships, but through the rest, recovery, re-learning, remembering, and healing process AFTER the pain.
Today I will remember that my difficulties and challenges are actually blessings which will help me find ways to cope with pain, acquire new skills, be reminded of things I have learned, afford me an opportunity to practice what I have learned, and to learn new things. I will remember that growth and progression equal happiness, and that the most growth and progression will come through difficulties and pain, rather than from a comfortable life of ease.
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Remember: Mindset matters. Character counts. That which we choose to consistently focus on is what EXPANDS in our lives. WE CREATE our realities.