Childhood Education
When I was in first grade I was an “early bird” which meant that myself, and half the class, were to attend an earlier school schedule. The “late birds” were on the later school schedule. It did not take long for my classmates and I to understand the reason for the classifications. The “early birds” were dumb and the “late birds” were smart.
In third grade a select number of children were chosen to attend “GATE”. I came to find out that GATE meant Gifted and Talented Education. I was not selected and I was not surprised. It confirmed what I already knew.
These early academic events caused me to subconsciously label myself as not smart or capable. This was fairly easy for me to accept for I had little reason to believe otherwise. I did not have in home opportunities and experiences that contradicted or challenged this belief. I watched TV, played video games, fought with my siblings, and hung out with my friends. I did not engage in mentally challenging activities. This just wasn’t my childhood. So…I accepted my academic limitations and acted accordingly.
I remember giving up easily on the tougher problems in school. I saw no reason to push myself to figure them out. I could not change what was. I felt helpless in these moments. It was frustrating to be asked to do something that I was incapable of doing. To compensate, I would focus on what I could control which meant doing homework, fulfilling reading assignments, and completing any other task that would compensate and cover my lack of intelligence.
I applied this helpless mindset to anything that required my mental faculties. I avoided such activities at all costs for the powerlessness caused great discomfort and anxiety.
Childhood Athletics
In athletics, I had a very different mindset. I knew I could grow and progress because I experienced it at an early age. I approached each athletic challenge with diligence, dedication, and determination. If something was hard I simply made myself figure it out. I did so because I had identified a strong link between effort and progress. As a result, I became a fairly successful high school athlete.
Higher Education
Since graduating from high school I have had many experiences that have forced me to question my childhood paradigms. My desire to provide for my family caused me to push beyond this fixed academic mindset. Necessity (at least that is how I saw it) left no option but to face my insecurities head on and leverage what little I had. This effort was met with success which caused sincere disbelief and confusion. For years, I attributed my academic achievements in higher education exclusively to hard work (which certainly was part of the equation). I struggled to accept that the hard work was actually causing me to intellectually grow. I would simply feel I got “lucky” when I would do well on tests.
Adulthood
Through years of experience and hard work I have come to learn that I am capable intellectually, strategically, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I now realize that these are internal muscles that must be worked, flexed, and pushed to grow and develop. The more I have faith in this paradigm the more progress and growth I experience.
As a child, I believed my ability to grow and develop intellectually was fixed. It was what it was and I should not waste time and energy trying to change what is. Athletically, I had a growth mindset and that enabled me to progress, develop, and succeed.
A new landscape with more serious consequences caused me to look beyond my academic paradigm and leverage my athletic one. I knew it functioned in sports so I put it to the test in college. It worked. I am fortunate to have learned these lessons and grow. I still struggle to accept I am intellectually capable for childhood beliefs are extremely difficult to unlearn and shake. The more I abandon the fixed mindset for a growth one the more empowered I become to progress.
In summary, nothing is fixed. Everything has potential to grow. Never believe that you are what you are and change is out of your control. This is a form of victimization. Belief combined with action (aka faith) can bring about great things. Reflect on your “early bird” moments that have shaped your paradigm and see what actions you can take to look beyond and prove it wrong. You will be surprised in what you can become if you simply believe that growth is real and possible. Provide yourself (and your children) with opportunities to experience this reality. You and your posterity will be richly rewarded as you pursue and persist in this path.
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