TOOLBOX
About
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A mindset is how we approach life. It's how we LOOK at, THINK about,
and REACT to the people
and situations in our world.
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We can learn new mindsets at any age.
Mindsets are skills we can learn at any time in our lives, just like speaking a new language or playing an instrument. They’re not personality traits or talents we are born with, like intelligence or musical ability. They are, for the most part, skills we learn (or don’t learn) as we grow up. They develop over time in response to our experiences and then they become habits. If we have a happy, positive childhood, we tend to develop a more open, optimistic view of life. If we experienced criticism, neglect, or abuse of any kind from adults in our lives, we will develop more negative beliefs and coping skills to help us manage those situations. Perhaps we learned not to trust people or we believed we're not good enough. And that is where we get stuck. Even if our circumstances change and we have different people in our lives, we react, out of habit, in the same way we did before - even though it no longer serves us.
We either learn to
control and MANAGE
our EMOTIONS or they
control and manage us.
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The power is in the pause.
Experts all over the world are talking about the new discoveries in neuroscience: that the thoughts we think physically rewire and reshape our brains - and can dramatically change our lives. We can overcome negativity, increase mental sharpness, improve our health, enhance work performance, and build better relationships. Decades of research support what philosophers and thought leaders have been telling us for centuries. We all have the capacity for an extraordinary life – and the secret to both happiness and success is in how we think about what happens in our lives. When we become aware of the constant stream of thoughts and emotions flowing through our minds, and we learn how to pause and choose the thoughts that we want to pay attention to, we gain control over our minds - and our lives. The power is in the pause.
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Creating a new
MINDSET is not that
different from LEARNING
to drive, speak French,
play an instrument, or
dance the salsa.
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Thought memory is like muscle memory.
It’s a lot like working out. At first, we’re out of shape, it’s difficult and it doesn’t feel good. We resist going to the gym with every excuse we can think of. But, after repeated efforts, we build both muscle strength and muscle memory, making it easier and more comfortable. “Thought memory” is like muscle memory. When we learn to dance or play an instrument, our brain works at creating new neural pathways. The more we do it, the deeper the pathways become, until the activity is automatic. The same goes for how we think. We repeat specific thoughts, build new neural pathways, and create a new way of thinking. It’s even possible to replace a negative, ineffective mindset with a new, more positive one. It’s definitely harder, like breaking any old habit is, but it can be done. The pathways we use more often (like hiking trails or ski runs) get stronger, while the pathways we use less get weaker.