Mind-Set – it’s your choice

Mind-set is a choice, you get to choose. Mind-set seems to be on the trend everywhere you look, especially if you spend time on any Social Media platform. Social Media has been an influencer in itself with promoting the latest trends from fashion, food, mental health, self care and more. I stay amazed at how people take Social Media as the gospel truth for their own centrical well being. I personally think this would be exhausting, and it’s begun to show in our society. Instead of taking the counsel of schooled professionals, people appear to research social media outlets on how to cope with life situations and struggles, weight control, behavioral issues and more. With the rise in suicides, mental illnesses, unexplained medical issues, stress, chemical dependency, and more, this shows me there are major issues lacking real direction and effective change. Mind you, this is my opinion.

Is your mind-set fixed or is it growth based?

What is the mind-set we’ve come to accept for ourselves? Have we just learned to accept things as they are, because “that’s just how it is”? That’s considered a fixed mind-set. There is no hope in this type of mind-set. No hope for betterment. No hope for a change. No hope for achievement. Bottom line, this ends with such a sad mundane life. Just existing. How about those that have learned to have a growth mind-set? Those are the people that fight back against injustice. Fight for a change. Fight for betterment. Fight to excel. What mind-set do you fall in? Mind-set – it’s your choice.

I fall in both categories for my mind-set. Normally I have a growth mind-set and look for ways to better myself, to grow, for challenges, to experience all I can with life. Then a frustration will build up and I find myself with a fixed mind-set mentality of ” well, this is just how it is, there’s no hope for a difference because it is what it is”. After a while of wallowing in that and self pity, I tend to snap back and say “wait a minute, this is stupid. I can try something different and see if that works”.

Was I always this way? No. It took an incident in my 20’s that helped with that change. One day it just clicked, I had a choice. I may have been dealt a bad deal, but I had a choice how I responded to that. I could choose to wallow in misery and sadness that would turn into bitterness, hatred and a short life, or I could choose to be happy with the good things I had and dwell on those things. Fixed mind-set or growth, it’s your choice.

I grew up hearing teachings in church of “renewing the mind”. Taking the scriptures and applying those to my life situations to act more like Christ, then letting the normal human response rule. My dad would always tell me, “Don’t let your emotions rule you”. That is easier said than done. Being the bigger person is hard work, it takes effort and perseverance. Being the bigger person takes failures and set backs, road blocks and narrow paths. Being the bigger person isn’t the popular route, but it gains a larger outcome.

Challenges help to choose what mind-set you want

The last two weeks have been a challenge in wanting to get even and hurt those that caused hurt to me. People who lied, people who have no clue about me, how I work, how I think or what I actually do. People who made assumptions from rumors and hearsay. People who didn’t take the time to actually reach out to me and talk with me directly, but chose to be part of the rumors, hearsay and pot-stirrers. I got angry, which is a normal response to an injustice. I was hurt because the people I interact with on a daily basis that are supposed to be trustworthy, leaders, peers or mentors turned out to be back stabbers, liars and a disappointment. My character and integrity was attached. I was angry.

If you want a difference in life, change your mind-set

I’m not quite there, but still working at sorting my feelings out so they don’t steal my joy and consume my life. But I’m choosing to have a growth mind-set. I’m choosing to be the bigger person. Yes, the people I interact with daily will continue to be the people they are, I have no control over that. I do have control over how I respond, how I behave and maintaining my mind-set of continuing the work towards being a healthy, happy and prosperous person. Having a growth mind-set. It’s work, a lot of hard work. However, the payoff and benefits will be much more than a fixed mind-set will ever be.

If you want a difference in life, change your mind-set. It’s your choice.