“The mind is everything. What you think, you become” – Buddha
Why is changing your mindset so important? Can we really use the power of the mind to overcome difficult circumstances? Why is it so hard yet so necessary to change our mindset?
As the quote from Buddha mentions, the mind is everything. The mind is so powerful that it can move mountains. Look at all of the great inventions in the world that started simply in someone’s mind. Imagine if the Wright Brothers had put their ideas down and never dared to dream of creating a flying machine?
We are what we think we become. Our mind can change our bodies, increasing or decreasing our heartbeat. It can change our self-esteem, help us recover from illness and change our circumstances and the lives of others. If we change the way we think we can truly move mountains.
So what is mindset? Mindset is described as a fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person’s responses to and interpretations of situations. Although it may be fixed at a certain point in time, mindset can be changed. Changing from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance and a growth mindset can be a tough process but it all starts with wanting to change. “I can’t change” is a mindset that precludes change. The very mindset of thinking you can’t change makes change difficult.
Why must we change? Aren’t we all born a certain way and will live that way our whole lives? The process of being open to change is an important one because in life change is inevitable. We are born helpless, not knowing how to walk, talk or eat by ourselves and we grow and change. Nature changes with each and every season. History shows us that great civilizations rise and fall, leaders change and ideas change over time.
So why is change so hard that if it’s such a natural thing? It’s because change involves uncertainty. What you know and are familiar with is comfortable and easy. Change can be uncomfortable and bring a sense of uneasiness.
Yet sometimes the best things come with the biggest changes in our lives. Changing limiting beliefs to limitless beliefs often brings about great abundance. It all starts with changing your mindset. When you come to expect an abundance you will see that abundance and achieve everything you desire. You will be resilient and know that as John Paul de Joria said “In the end everything will be ok. If it’s not ok it’s not the end”. That type of resilient mindset is what helped de Joria become a billionaire! His positive attitude and growth mindset allowed him to change from a broke and homeless person to a billionaire running successful businesses for decades. His positive mindset allows him to be grateful and to help and give back to others. He never had a victim mindset no matter what his circumstances were.
You might not become a millionaire, but when you resist change you get stuck in the same patterns and don’t grow. You are stable but stuck. I know because I was in that situation once too. I had become very comfortable with my marriage and with my long term career in finance. In truth, neither was serving me well anymore but I was reluctant or afraid to change. I just couldn’t envision my life without my now ex-husband and I couldn’t break free of my job either. The salary was high enough that I never wanted for anything but rather than strengthening me it left me in a position where I was stagnating. I honestly never looked at my situation at that time with a critical lens. I was not very self-aware and I didn’t use the wealth that the job brought me to my best advantage.
Now I’m not saying that change is always needed. If you’re comfortable in your home or in your place of work or your marriage then by all means stay there but do try to keep growing. Yet once it’s no longer serving you well and you are stagnating, then a growth mindset is one you should adopt. You can grow in the current situation you’re in but sometimes radical change is necessary to really change your life.
So how do we change our mindset and start on the road to radical change? Sometimes we are thrust into change, when we lose a job or a spouse. That’s not the best or easiest way to change, but it happens. Thoughtful, planned change starts with getting quiet with yourself first. You need to learn how to think like a monk and get introspective. You can change your mindset and that is how you will start to live your best life!
