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Monday, July 21, 2008
You CAN Teach An Old Dog, er, Woman...
I forgot to bring along a book to read in case I had to wait for my appointment at my acupuncturist's office the other day, so I picked up the closest magazine that looked interesting out of the sparse choices on the little table next to my chair. (Heaven forbid I would have to just sit and BE until my appointment!) I usually read a magazine from back to front, sometimes from middle to whatever way I go, but NEVER from front to back. So, I opened up the Stanford alumni magazine to some random page and found a FASCINATING article on the effort effect.
The article was based on the book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck. "Success" and "effort" are not very interesting words to me, so I don't know why I began to read the article. Just because "it was there"?
For over 30 years, Dweck has been trying to understand why some people reach their potential while others who display an equal amount of talent don't. She believes that it doesn't have to do with ability, but instead it depends on "whether you look at ability as something inherent that needs to be demonstrated or as something that can be developed."
Dweck says that we either have a Fixed Mind-set or a Growth Mind-set. Reading the list of qualities for each of these, my eyes were opened to the fact that I have a Fixed Mind-set (not something I'm proud of, but just to realize this was liberating).
People with Fixed Mind-sets believe that intelligence is static. They have a tendency to want to look smart, which leads them to avoid challenges. They give up easily and see effort as fruitless or worse. They ignore useful negative feedback and feel threatened by the success of others. As a result, they may plateau early (a very common theme in my life) and achieve less than their full potential.
Someone with a Growth Mind-set has a desire to learn and therefore a tendency to embrace challenges. They persist in the face of setbacks and see effort as the path to mastery. They learn from criticism and find lessons and inspiration in the success of others (I find inspiration in the success of others - does that mean that I'm REALLY not "Fixed"?). As a result, they reach ever-higher levels of achievement.
I can remember so many times where I was one of the best in some class, only to, at some point, plateau and be passed by others. I'd still get the "A", but I just wouldn't have the skill and mastery that those who passed by me had. Or I'd take a class in a new body work modality but then stop at some point before attaining the certification. I have been tempted to quit taking Spanish recently, because I don't believe that I'll ever be able to speak it.
Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
BUT, a mind-set can be changed. It's only based on beliefs, and those beliefs are just beliefs, not truths. Just reading this article and gaining awareness of my process, I have realized that I can have a choice about how I view challenges.
And I'm going to begin carving new pathways in my brain by embracing the challenges of learning espanol. Onward and upward!
Amo un desafio!
The article was based on the book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck. "Success" and "effort" are not very interesting words to me, so I don't know why I began to read the article. Just because "it was there"?
For over 30 years, Dweck has been trying to understand why some people reach their potential while others who display an equal amount of talent don't. She believes that it doesn't have to do with ability, but instead it depends on "whether you look at ability as something inherent that needs to be demonstrated or as something that can be developed."
Dweck says that we either have a Fixed Mind-set or a Growth Mind-set. Reading the list of qualities for each of these, my eyes were opened to the fact that I have a Fixed Mind-set (not something I'm proud of, but just to realize this was liberating).
People with Fixed Mind-sets believe that intelligence is static. They have a tendency to want to look smart, which leads them to avoid challenges. They give up easily and see effort as fruitless or worse. They ignore useful negative feedback and feel threatened by the success of others. As a result, they may plateau early (a very common theme in my life) and achieve less than their full potential.
Someone with a Growth Mind-set has a desire to learn and therefore a tendency to embrace challenges. They persist in the face of setbacks and see effort as the path to mastery. They learn from criticism and find lessons and inspiration in the success of others (I find inspiration in the success of others - does that mean that I'm REALLY not "Fixed"?). As a result, they reach ever-higher levels of achievement.
I can remember so many times where I was one of the best in some class, only to, at some point, plateau and be passed by others. I'd still get the "A", but I just wouldn't have the skill and mastery that those who passed by me had. Or I'd take a class in a new body work modality but then stop at some point before attaining the certification. I have been tempted to quit taking Spanish recently, because I don't believe that I'll ever be able to speak it.
Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
BUT, a mind-set can be changed. It's only based on beliefs, and those beliefs are just beliefs, not truths. Just reading this article and gaining awareness of my process, I have realized that I can have a choice about how I view challenges.
And I'm going to begin carving new pathways in my brain by embracing the challenges of learning espanol. Onward and upward!
Amo un desafio!
Labels: Carol Dweck, espanol, Growth
posted by Carol at 8:00 AM
7 comments
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Me Encanta Hablar Espanol
Tonight was my last Spanish class of this session. For fourteen weeks, I've studied until my brain hurt and I've sweated profusely in class as el profesor grilled us over and over. This learning a new language is hard! Especially at my advanced age! Fourteen weeks and I still can only pick out a few words when I listen to Spanish radio. But that's more than I could do before!
I never want to hear anyone say "people who come to the U.S. should just learn to speak English" again. Move to a foreign country in order to feed your family, then work your butt off at minimum wage before you tell me what someone in that position ought to be doing.
I've got an easy life - so far - and this learning a new language stuff takes time, money and lots of work. I can't imagine trying to do it under different circumstances, although maybe I'd be more motivated if I couldn't understand most of the people around me.
Because of a great out-of-town opportunity I have coming up and because of a great out-of-body experience under the knife I'll be undergoing in a month, I'm on espanol sabbatical for the next couple of months. I hope I don't get too rusty...
I never want to hear anyone say "people who come to the U.S. should just learn to speak English" again. Move to a foreign country in order to feed your family, then work your butt off at minimum wage before you tell me what someone in that position ought to be doing.
I've got an easy life - so far - and this learning a new language stuff takes time, money and lots of work. I can't imagine trying to do it under different circumstances, although maybe I'd be more motivated if I couldn't understand most of the people around me.
Because of a great out-of-town opportunity I have coming up and because of a great out-of-body experience under the knife I'll be undergoing in a month, I'm on espanol sabbatical for the next couple of months. I hope I don't get too rusty...
Paz, amor, y aprendizaje
(or something like that - and yes, I cheated)
(or something like that - and yes, I cheated)
If you can speak three languages you're trilingual. If you can speak two languages you're bilingual. If you can speak only one language you're an American. - Author Unknown
Use what language you will, you can never say anything but what you are.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Labels: espanol
posted by Carol at 9:53 PM
6 comments
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Blogs & Caucuses & Things
This is what I like about blogging:
Blogging helps me to be more aware of life. Actually, that happens anytime I write. As Natalie Goldberg says, writing is "a way to help you penetrate your life and become sane." I am hanging on to hope that I will, at some point, become sane through this! But not sane in the usual way Americans look at sanity... That's too insane!
Blogging has given me new friends. That's really the best part. The people who read my blog know how I think and what I value. And I know the same about my blogger friends. I have read blogs of people who had terminal illnesses and are now no longer with us. What a gift to share such important times! I have met fellow bloggers in "real" life, and it was like just meeting up with an old friend.
Blogging has been a way that I can share my voice with the world. When I first started this blog, it was important to me that people in other countries know that Americans don't all support the actions of our prez. That others know many of us feel pain knowing that our military is murdering people and decimating other countries. There are many Americans who care and are trying to stop it in many different ways.
And blogging has connected me with people who are doing great work. It's like magic. I once wrote about a man I saw riding his bike backwards through Denver, and POOF!, he contacted me, letting me know that he was riding backwards across America to bring about awareness of AIDS, the growing numbers of homeless, and the need for medical marijuana. Now I've been in touch with Curan through his ride to D.C., and down into Florida. I hope to meet him as he rides backwards back to California.
John Pascuzzi contacted me after I posted his wonderful hang drum video to let me know about another video of his - this one about Ukuleles for Peace. After posting that one, I heard from Paul Moore of Ukuleles for Peace. He is bringing together Israeli and Palestinian children through music. It gives me goose bumps just thinking about it.
So, I'm wondering... I'm on a roll... Do you think if write a lot about the Dalai Lama and post some videos of him, he'll contact me?
Let's see now, who else would I like to hear from???
Blogging helps me to be more aware of life. Actually, that happens anytime I write. As Natalie Goldberg says, writing is "a way to help you penetrate your life and become sane." I am hanging on to hope that I will, at some point, become sane through this! But not sane in the usual way Americans look at sanity... That's too insane!
Blogging has given me new friends. That's really the best part. The people who read my blog know how I think and what I value. And I know the same about my blogger friends. I have read blogs of people who had terminal illnesses and are now no longer with us. What a gift to share such important times! I have met fellow bloggers in "real" life, and it was like just meeting up with an old friend.
Blogging has been a way that I can share my voice with the world. When I first started this blog, it was important to me that people in other countries know that Americans don't all support the actions of our prez. That others know many of us feel pain knowing that our military is murdering people and decimating other countries. There are many Americans who care and are trying to stop it in many different ways.
And blogging has connected me with people who are doing great work. It's like magic. I once wrote about a man I saw riding his bike backwards through Denver, and POOF!, he contacted me, letting me know that he was riding backwards across America to bring about awareness of AIDS, the growing numbers of homeless, and the need for medical marijuana. Now I've been in touch with Curan through his ride to D.C., and down into Florida. I hope to meet him as he rides backwards back to California.
John Pascuzzi contacted me after I posted his wonderful hang drum video to let me know about another video of his - this one about Ukuleles for Peace. After posting that one, I heard from Paul Moore of Ukuleles for Peace. He is bringing together Israeli and Palestinian children through music. It gives me goose bumps just thinking about it.
So, I'm wondering... I'm on a roll... Do you think if write a lot about the Dalai Lama and post some videos of him, he'll contact me?
Let's see now, who else would I like to hear from???
***
Colorado caucuses were held last night. I didn't go. My bad. No, really, I went to my espanol class instead. Mi esposo went to the caucus, though, and he told me that the number of people who showed up was about ten times higher than the record numbers we had four years ago. Exciting!
You may have noticed that I have not been speaking about politics here lately. I am "holding it all lightly". I am trying to integrate my political practice with my spiritual practice. Really, there are no divisions anyway. Last presidential election time, I had great attachment to outcomes. That does not do well for one's inner peace - at least not mine. Peace has got to start with me. Besides, my attachment didn't change a darn thing about election outcomes anyway. I don't want to be one more voice of opinions (even though I have many of them) and second hand information regarding candidates. There is plenty of that going around. I don't know any of the candidates personally, and I don't know what any of them will do once they take office. No amount of speculating will give us the true answer on that.
So, I will trust myself to do the right thing when voting time comes and all along the way there.
By the way, in case you didn't hear, Colorado chose Obama and Romney.
And I'm LOVING the process of learning Spanish, even if it's hard for my little brain to do. I love the new way of seeing things that this brings. The world is opening up a tiny bit more.
Paz a todos ustedes
Colorado caucuses were held last night. I didn't go. My bad. No, really, I went to my espanol class instead. Mi esposo went to the caucus, though, and he told me that the number of people who showed up was about ten times higher than the record numbers we had four years ago. Exciting!
You may have noticed that I have not been speaking about politics here lately. I am "holding it all lightly". I am trying to integrate my political practice with my spiritual practice. Really, there are no divisions anyway. Last presidential election time, I had great attachment to outcomes. That does not do well for one's inner peace - at least not mine. Peace has got to start with me. Besides, my attachment didn't change a darn thing about election outcomes anyway. I don't want to be one more voice of opinions (even though I have many of them) and second hand information regarding candidates. There is plenty of that going around. I don't know any of the candidates personally, and I don't know what any of them will do once they take office. No amount of speculating will give us the true answer on that.
So, I will trust myself to do the right thing when voting time comes and all along the way there.
By the way, in case you didn't hear, Colorado chose Obama and Romney.
***
And I'm LOVING the process of learning Spanish, even if it's hard for my little brain to do. I love the new way of seeing things that this brings. The world is opening up a tiny bit more.
Me gusta aprender espanol!
Paz a todos ustedes
Labels: Biking Backwards, Caucuses, espanol, just because, Ukuleles for Peace
posted by Carol at 9:41 AM
4 comments
Thursday, November 29, 2007
We Learned Days and Months!
Hoy es jueves, el veintinueve de noviembre.
Mi cumpleanos es el veintiuno de junio.
?Cuando es su cumpleanos?
Me gusta la primavera y el verano.
(Perdon my inability to add upside down question marks, accent marks and those squiggly thing that make an "n" an "en-yeh". I hope the lack of these important little things doesn't make me write an unintended word!)
Cameron, of Cameron and Kristina fame, says in his book, Spiritual Traveler, that "when you learn a new language, you acquire a new soul". I have not learned much Spanish yet, but I feel a new soul incubating!
Mi cumpleanos es el veintiuno de junio.
?Cuando es su cumpleanos?
Me gusta la primavera y el verano.
(Perdon my inability to add upside down question marks, accent marks and those squiggly thing that make an "n" an "en-yeh". I hope the lack of these important little things doesn't make me write an unintended word!)
Cameron, of Cameron and Kristina fame, says in his book, Spiritual Traveler, that "when you learn a new language, you acquire a new soul". I have not learned much Spanish yet, but I feel a new soul incubating!
Labels: cameron and kristina, espanol
posted by Carol at 8:30 AM
5 comments