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Have you Got a Fixed Mindset? Got STINKING THINKING?

In 1986, lieutenant Pete Mitchell enrolled in the elite air force pilot school. He believed that he was the best of the best, he was so talented that he can maneuver a F14 in a way that no one else can. Until one day, he went out for a routine exercise and lost control of his plane. The plane nose dived straight into the ocean, him and his partner were ejected out of the plane and in the process, his partner in the back hit the canopy and was killed instantly.

As guilt set in, Lieutenant Mitchell lost all his confidence. He felt like he was not fit for the job. He was thinking about quitting. Until, at a moment in time, with the guidance of his mentor, he changed his thinking. He changed his belief. He turned his guilt into an even more powerful emotion. He turned his failure into success, beating the 6 enemy MiG's and returned to base triumphant.

I was talking about, of course, the 1986 hit movie Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise as Pete Maverick Mitchell. Maverick's story is not unique. Every hero in a story had a moment in time where they change their fixed mindset, or what I call their 'stinking thinking', into a growth mindset.

A fixed mindset person believes that you either have it or you don’t. You're either born with the talent or you're not. And because of that belief, when they fail, someone with a fixed mindset often stay defeated. They never make their comeback.

But a hero can switch their mindset just like that. They can change their beliefs just because they decide to change their belief. And once they change into a growth mindset, they turn their failure into success, they defeat their enemies, they get the girl, they make their big comeback story.

Heroes are just like you and me. They are ordinary people just like us. The only difference is that they were able to change their mindset, usually with someone's guidance, a Yoda of some sort.

When Thor lost his hammer, he believed that he was being punished by god, that he was undeserving of his magical hammer. Until he changed his thinking, he found his purpose and believed that he can do it.

Alright. So maybe you are not Maverick or Thor. Neither am I. But the point is that all of us have some fixed mindset in us that we need to get rid of.

Here's some examples of fixed mindset that you may be familiar with:

You need money to make money

It's in my genes

Both my parents have diabetes, therefore for sure I will have it too

It runs in the family

I'm not tall enough

I'm too fat

I'm too old

I'm too young

Nobody loves me

Does that sound familiar? All of us have fixed mindsets in some areas and growth mindset in other areas. It's not like you can easily label a person as a fixed mindset person or a growth mindset person.

But when you realize that your thinking is stinking, that your beliefs are limiting your capabilities and preventing you from taking action. The moment you realize this, that's your decision point. At that moment you get to decide whether you want to be fixed or not. And only you can decide for yourself.

The key to changing from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset, is awareness. And awareness is a skill that comes with practice. When you decide to do or not do something, be aware of what beliefs are limiting your behavior. By raising your awareness, you are able to make a decision, you get to choose whether to be the hero, for you, for your family, for your career, or for your cause. You get to fulfill your purpose and your mission, but only if you decide to.

Write in the comments below where you are aware of your own fixed mindset thinking and how you are going to change your stinking thinking.

Until next time, love what you live, and live what you love.

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