“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right. ~ Henry Ford”
Roger Crawford is an entrepreneur, author, consultant to Fortune 500 companies, motivational speaker, and a professional tennis player. You might be thinking this man is incredible - and you would be right. However, what if I told you Roger was born with ectrodactylism? Roger was born with no hands and only one good foot. He had a thumb-like digit coming out of his right forearm, and a similar one on his left forearm. The doctors told Roger’s parents that he would need to be able to walk and care for himself.
After the disbelief, Roger’s parents began to teach him how to use the tools he was given. They spoke life into him and encouraged him to overcome the obstacles of his disabilities. Carol Dweck in her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success defines a growth mindset, as “. . . People believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work — brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.”
Because of Roger’s parents, he developed a growth mindset. He learned to embrace his imperfections, see opportunities instead of problems, and reframe setbacks as new learning experiences. Roger did not start life well; however, he is living a great life and it is due to the choice his parents made to teach him how not “to be handicapped” in his mind.
It is time to act. Become a person who begins to see opportunities instead of obstacles, to fail forward, to embrace imperfection, and to do it afraid (do you want to say unafraid?). Who you are matters and what you do matters; therefore, let yourself embrace a growth mindset and watch what it can do for you, your business, and your relationships.
“Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional. ~ Roger Crawford”
Check out these resources for more learning opportunities in developing a growth mindset:
Book: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Dr. Carol Dweck
Website: http://mindsetonline.com/
Ted Talk (Video): http://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve