Mindset
(noun) - a mental attitude or inclination; a fixed state of mind (Merriam-Webster.com)
Maybe it’s too cliche now, but you know what they say about cliches - there’s a reason that they are used so much, probably because they are true.
Why is this word, mindset, becoming cliche?
Thinking back to when I was growing up, this wasn’t talked about, but I do feel like it was taught or attempted to be taught, However, if someone didn’t catch on then they were put in the category of “they just aren’t meant for this.” Yes, it mostly occurred in sports, but even academics; I know this is little harsh, but there were those kids that had the mindset of “I just want to hang out with my friends and do what they are doing” and those kids didn’t really excel in that sport. Growing up in a small school where you needed every body just to have a team, it could get frustrating when your team mates didn’t have the same mindset as you. But in the same respect, I know that’s why I think my mentality has always been hard work pays off because I saw it happen first hand.
And now, that’s why I advocate so much to teach mindset to ALL the student-athletes in the same way. Teaching them that you get to CHOOSE how you go into a game or situation or classroom; will that be with a good attitude or a failure attitude? Will it be to leave it all out on the floor and walk out with your head high even if you lose? Or will there be any regrets thinking that you could have done more? Walking into a classroom with a tough teacher you can decide to be respectful and curious or you can choose to not pay attention and give that teacher even more reason to overlook you….?
We’ve tip-toed around this lack of positive mindset so much that it’s created kids that crumple when things don’t turn out how they had anticipated. They have not been trained to fight their own negative thoughts.
And personally, I think it’s heart-breaking and a huge disservice to them.
Now, I’m not talking about a positivity that ignores reality. If anything shifting your mindset is to acknowledge the hard that is going on or will happen (going up against the number one team) then CHOOSING whether you are still going to work your butt off and make them earn each point OR if you’re going to play scared because they hit harder or move faster….?
We can also apply the “do it scared” process to this. You can only prepare so much for a situation before it comes down to “just do it.”
I am preaching to myself - I need whomever is reading this to know that.
My mindset has been “there’s too much going on” or “I deserve a rest” or “it’s too overwhelming.” This is a work in progress with lots of grace along with accountability needed along the way. I’ve had a dream that quite frankly scares me more than a little and I’ve allowed myself to settle into a “what if I fail” mindset and so I haven’t taken the small steps to just start moving forward.
Like I said - work in progress.
But what better way for kids to learn it than by watching? Then, when they take the step and stumble we come along side to help them up, dust off and acknowledge what went wrong in order to start again with that one step forward. That is the beauty of grace and community.
We live in a broken, hard world, but we get to choose: do we see only the hard and ask why? or do we work together to make a shift in our mindset to take on the hard?
