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The Law

Mindset -1

A mindset which supports harmony in our thinking process is very essential for increasing our power for attraction.

Our beliefs have tremendous influence over our capability to realise our potential. Some of these beliefs are created consciously and some unconsciously. Our personality grows out of these beliefs.

The set of beliefs that we hold forms our mindset. We use our mindset to perceive things which then controls the way we react to those things. Since the mindset varies from one individual to the other, so does the perception. What could be right for one, could be wrong for the other. 

Our childhood days are where the first impressions are made on our mind. Our mindset starts to form here. Our genetics play a role here. The immediate family becomes a very important determinant at this stage. As we grow, other factors such as the friends, larger family, teachers, society, religion etc start to influence us.

In one of my earlier post I had mentioned that we need not continue with our genetically imparted mindset or what we learn in our childhood days. This is an important point. In essence it means that mindset can be learnt and unlearnt. If we believe that we are stuck with certain mindset and it is not changeable, then we are stuck with the notion of pre-determined destiny. On the other hand when we believe that we can become what we desire to be, by learning, by perseverance and effort, we choose the path of growth. 

We are not bound by our IQs. The inventor of IQ, Alfred Binet, believed in this. In reality he had devised this quotient to assess the learning tools and needs of an individual. It was not meant to be a parameter to brand an individual. By the same principles of progression of mindset, it is also seen that an initial IQ level of child does not forecast his future state.

What I learnt from Psycho Cybernetics holds greater relevance. Our self image - the way we picture ourselves, another aspect of mindset - plays a mre vital role in determining our future than the IQ.

Individuals, who tread the path of growth, who believe in continual improvement, stretch themselves, put in extra effort to acquire skills in their field of choosing. A failure, for them, is an opportunity to learn, to find out what does not work. They do not hesitate to risk a failure. Such individuals do not consider themselves as unlucky or victims of circumstances. In our subsequent discussions we will call such a mindset as an open mindset. This is in contrast to those individuals who allow a failure to erode their self worth. A failure makes them a failure. Such a person believes that his qualities are fixed and he is either blessed or cursed by his inherent qualities. He believes that no amount of effort can change his destiny. He has closed himself to learning. Let us call this mindset as a closed mindset.

A very good indicator of this difference in mindset is demonstrated by the way different persons handle feedback. A feedback is a very good learning resource. It mostly comes free of cost. A person with an open mindset goes out of his way to seek feedback. Such a person is as receptive to an adverse feedback as he is to a favorable one. A person with a closed mindset may also seek feedback. But he does so from safe sources which tell him what he wants to hear. An adverse feedback causes him to put a label on either the person who gave the adverse feedback or on himself.

The encouraging news is that a closed mindset can be changed to a open mindset. It is also trues that a person with an open mindset can develop traits of a closed mindset. 



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Prabir