Whether you think you can or you can’t, either way, you are right.” Henry Ford
I was in the staff room when I stumbled upon this quote by Henry and while reminiscing on the words, I was called to attend to the SS1 students who were making noise because there was no teacher with them. It wasn't time for me to teach them but took that as an opportunity to give them some encouraging words. However, I intended to revise the previous topics since they would be having their tests in a few days. I revised and began my speech.
I narrated a part of my life to them and how I was able to achieve my goal by believing in myself. I told them how I was eager to put on the National Youth Service Corps uniform when I sighted some Corp members some years back and I made that determination to study hard and be where I am today. They all listened calmly and I could see some were sober on hearing the part where I had to struggle hard and in the end achieved what I aimed for.
The above quote by Henry Ford explains a profound truth about the power of belief and mindset. The first is to believe that our thoughts and attitudes play an important role in determining our success or failure in life.
The Power of Belief
Belief is a powerful force that shapes the way we act and what we would get from it (outcome). When we believe that we can achieve something, it is more likely that we will put in our efforts, take necessary risks, and persist in the face of challenges. Just like my story above, what I made the students understand is that there is power when one believes because no matter what happens, such an individual will do what it takes in the right way to achieve it. I had the belief which made me achieve it today even though there were challenges I faced along the line, risks I took and how I didn't give up when things were tough.
Beliefs ignite motivation and determination, pushing us towards our goals and accomplishments. In the same way, when we do not believe we can achieve something, we may not try our best and even if we attempt to, we won't put our mind to it because we believe we cannot achieve it.
The Power of Mindset
In the book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol Dweck, a renowned psychologist, she introduced this concept of a "fixed and growth mindset". In her book, she explained that an individual with a fixed mindset only believes that their abilities are static and cannot be changed. These set of individuals tend to avoid challenges, run away from taking risks, give up easily and see their efforts as being useless and fruitless.
So also are the individuals with the growth mindset, they believe that their hard work and perseverance are developed through their abilities, they tend to never give up easily, face challenges because they have the belief that they make them grow, develop strength and view their efforts as a path to mastery.
When you think you can grow and improve, you will approach life with a growth mindset instead of having a fixed mindset where you think less of yourself, limiting your potential and ability, thereby viewing yourself as a failure even when you haven't tried.
Both images belongs to me
