LENS OPTIONS FOR EFFECTIVE LIVING
Have you ever used glasses with coloured lenses like red, yellow or any other colour. What happened to the perceptions of what you see. When I wore glasses with yellow lens, everything I saw looked yellow. To some extent it was not matched with reality. Yet perceptions matter and they rule our understanding and reactions to the world of things and people around us. Those like you who desire to live an effective life in the midst of a mixture of good, bad and indifferent situations in life can benefit from pausing and reflecting on what lens we are wearing. This can lead to reality check, choices to adjust to reality and open up possibilities, for happiness, contentment, acceptance of the unchangeable and making efforts towards change, transformation and meaning in life’s varying circumstances with courage and strength. In Counselling, one of the things that a Counsellor does is after listening and empathizing, gently and sensitively challenge to open up blind spots which included becoming aware of the lenses we wear, examining if they are growth enhancing or stress provoking and change them for a more satisfying life. One such courageous and honest client acknowledged that he/she had a tendency to look at negative things and become overly suspicious and distrustful which brought a lot of hurt in the family, work place and community. By changing the lens, now there is goodness becoming visible all around even in the imperfect world even though discernment is in order. Out of many models that explain this aspect of MINDSET I am sharing below one of them that many find useful. I hope you will also do. Look at the diagrammed below which will be explained further.
MINDSET BY DR. CAROL S. DWECK PAGE NO.245
| FIXED MINDSET
Leads to desire to look smart and therefore a tendency to… |
GROWTH MIND-SET
Leads to a desire to learn and therefore a tendency to |
|
|
Challenges |
Avoid challenges |
Embrace challenges |
|
Obstacles |
Give up easily | Persist in the face of setbacks |
| Effort | See effort as fruitless or worse |
See effort as the path to mastery |
|
Criticism |
Ignore useful negative feedback |
Learn from criticism |
|
Success of others |
Feel threatened by the success of others |
Find lessons and inspiration in the success of others |
Mind-set is the term referring to the outlook out look, approach, or Lens or attitudes that people use to Experience what happens inside and outside of them to take appropriate measures. There is very popular book that is read all over the world it is called Mind-set written by a Psychologist, Doctor Carol Dweck of Stanford University. This book is meant for everyone who wants to be a more effective person. It’s very appropriate for counselling, for counsellors and for clients who are seeking help to lead a fulfilling life to realize their potential. According to Doctor Dweck there are 2 types of mind-set. One is called fixed mind-set the other is called growth mind-set Fixed mind-set is said ,”lead to desire to look smart”. Growth mind-set it’s said,” lead to a desire to learn”.
The differences between these 2 on five parameters is what I am going to state now. The first parameter as you can see in the diagram above meets Challenges how does a fixed mind set deal with it and how does a growth mind-set deal with it.
1.Dr. Dweck says when faced with challenges a fixed mind-set oriented person shows a tendency to avoid challenges Which can be to Withdraw from engaging And therefore do everything possible to avoid challenges. Whereas the growth mind-set oriented person shows a tendency to embrace challenges. They admit there are difficulties and face them, take it in the stride and do their best in it.
2.The second parameters when facing obstacles the fixed mind-set Oriented people tend to give up easily They may try a little bit but easily give up and very well won’t be able to do anything with it therefore do not bother. Whereas the growth mind set oriented people tend to persist in the face upset backs setbacks are not seen as failures as mixed mind-set oriented people might think there can be a some disappointment boldly persist. for growth mind-set oriented people move on and they move forward. By persistence they succeeded eventually.
3.The third parameter it’s about effort. Fixed mind-set orientated people say effort is fruitless and pessimistic attitude negativist thinking. Whereas growth mind-set oriented folk see effort as the path to mastery. As we can see in all artists, sports persons and others who achieve great success and win admiration of many work really hard I’m amazed at how some of the best playback singers talk about importance of practice at the part of mastery.
4.The fourth parameter that is criticism can be point to deficiencies. It can also contain useful Comments. the fixed mind-set oriented people ignore useful negative feedback therefore don’t learn much from it. whereas the growth mind-set oriented people learn from criticism, improve their performance and make a constructive reaction to criticism and therefore they are not deterred by it. They in fact welcome it.
5. The fifth parameter is in the realm of success of others. Fixed mind-set oriented people tend to feel threatened by the success of others. They might feel jealous, they might feel sad and they might boycott them. They might talk ill about them at their back. Whereas growth mind-set oriented people tend to find lessons and inspiration in the success of others They learn from them. They are even comfortable too congratulate and encourage them. With all humility share what they learnt from them how and they were inspired by them.
With the above knowledge, what do you want, “fixed mind-set or growth mind-set”.
You can really help people to challenge their fixed mind-set. They embrace growth mind-set so that they may be realise their potential, become happier and progress through learning with persistent effort and succeed eminently in whatever they undertake to do in their life.
You can also develop growth mind-set whether you are a helper or a helped as we are both at different times.
Perhaps a good New Year 2025 goal even as we are at the beginning of the New Year. All the best.