Grow

I walked by the fenced-in garden at my son’s elementary school, and the vibrant flowers and pumpkins brought an instant smile to my face. I knew, from the stories my son shared last school year, that the beauty in front of me was only a fraction of the growth from his fourth grade class Garden Project.

He learned a ton that year about Growth Mindset—the belief that our natural talent and intelligence are just the beginning. And, especially through failure and challenges, we can continually learn new things with an attitude of determination. I’ll never forget the day I was resistant when he tried to teach me something new; he responded, “Sounds to me like you have a fixed mindset instead of a growth mindset!”

During this transformative time for my son, two of the fourth grade teachers decided to take on the neglected school garden with their students. The only issue was that neither of them had a clue about gardening. They were going to figure it out right beside the kids.

With time and effort, from a mess of dirt and weeds emerged a glorious symbol of our growing minds and abilities. At all ages. With endless possibilities.

I ran across a powerful quote from Joyce Meyer as I was thinking about this post, and I believe it was meant for all of us. “If you are facing a new challenge or being asked to do something you have never done before, don’t be afraid to step out. You have more capability than you think you do but you will never see it unless you place a demand on yourself for more.”

As we enter a new season of the year, it’s the perfect time for us to switch things up too! To take that risk. Try something new. Stretch our brain. Reach for the unfamiliar. Bump out the comfort zone. Seek an adventure. Grow.

Happy Wednesday~

Behold, I will do a new thing. Isaiah 43:19

If you would like to learn more about Growth Mindset, click here for a fascinating Ted Talk by Dr. Carol Dweck.