“It all begins and ends in your mind. What you give power to, has power over you, if you allow it.” ~Leon Brown~
The past 11 months have been volatile at times to say the least. Times such as these beget a new and often overlooked battle. The battle for our minds. While we fight against that which we hate, determine to alter the opinions of others and fret for our future, it is our minds that endure the greatest wounds. These wounds penetrate into our hearts, families and communities. We are left with hearts hardened towards humanity, families torn apart by lack of understanding and communities suffering in division.
Life is peppered with experiences outside of our control. The battle for our minds, however, is well within our “circle of control”. The victory is not inevitable and will require effort, determination and grit. It is a victory though, well worth fighting for.
Let’s talk about 3 powerful mindsets to adopt in 2021 that are relevant for not only our current circumstances as a nation but in our everyday lives as mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, leaders and friends.
3 Powerful Mindsets to Adopt in 2021
Love Conquers All
I’m reading about love right now and I’m reminded of all the times that love has changed the direction of my life. Such love has been presented in a myriad of ways. The action produced by love created the change.
May I tell you a story I shared with a friend today?
I remember a time in my life that was very dark. Dark enough that actionable love was required. During this time there were 3 camps of people in my life. The first were those that seemed to add fuel to the fire that was destroying me. The second were those that sympathized but weren’t willing to get close enough to risk getting burnt. Then over there in camp 3 were those that embodied the love of Jesus. They suited up to join me in my dark time, some were burnt I’m sure but through their actionable love they directly changed the course of life.
I know this may sound dramatic but that kind of love does that. It changes people and stories even when we aren’t aware of it.
Now let me conclude this by saying, those in camps 1 and 2 aren’t incapable of embodying the love of Jesus for someone else. I am not trying to classify good vs evil in this conversation. We can’t be everything for everyone.
The challenge for all of us here is to open our eyes and become aware of the opportunities around you that invoke that actionable love. This mindset of “love conquers all” allows us to see the best in people and look for those opportunities to change someone’s narrative with love.
Education and Exposure
This is pretty simple in theory but difficult in practice. It’s comfortable and cozy to surround ourselves with like-minded people, read books that bolster our opinions and join conversations where everyone is nodding yes to the same idea.
I am first in line to admit fault in this area. I am learning though that my opinions aren’t truly my own if they aren’t challenged. If nodding yes is all that is required, I’ll never know the “why” behind those opinions. Challenge may at times result in a change of opinion and at other times strengthen my original thought. Regardless of the outcome, I can then stand firmly in that belief. Not too firmly though, as education is an ongoing process right?
The challenge this mindset brings is to educate and expose. Educate yourself on the topics you feel strongly about. Read, study and ask questions. Secondly, expose yourself to varying opinions and ideas of thought. Does your neighbor disagree? Invite them for coffee, listen to understand and appreciate their passion.
I love this quote from @sharonsaysso on Instagram. “Listening to understand doesn’t obligate you to agree.”
Move from an “Against” to a “For” Mindset
I first heard this idea from Liz Bohannon and maybe she heard from someone else I’m not sure. When I read her words about committing to focus on what she is for rather than what she is against, my heart exploded.
Honestly, there was so much talk everywhere I looked about what people were against and it drained me. I left feeling depleted with no idea how to make a positive impact for people around me. It most certainly did not leave room for actionable love or much action at all for that matter.
But shifting my focus to what I am for ignites passion, purpose, love and action. I see faces of people rather than issues on paper. I recognize need over differences. And I feel empowered to reach out to a neighbor rather than type out my opposing view on social media.
Stay with me for a quick example.
I am 100% against my child being rude to another child at school. If my focus is directed at what I am against, I’m likely to lecture about the importance of not being rude. I am quick to list consequences if this were to ever happen. Both myself and my child will leave this interaction feeling pretty negatively.
However, let’s flip the script. I am 100% for my child being kind at school. If my focus is directed here, I’m likely to be kind as an example of how they are to act. We may share ideas on how to be kind at school. I will talk about how wonderful other children will feel when someone is kind to them or how great they will feel after being kind. We most likely will leave this interaction positively and feeling happy.
See the difference? And the latter brings action such as including a lonely kid on the playground, sharing snacks, etc as opposed to simply avoiding what we are against.
Mindset is everything and fortunately we have complete control here. We also have the ability to create impact with intention and love. So let’s do that this year. With me? Will you try these 3 powerful mindsets to adopt in 2021?
What are you “FOR”? How will you take actionable love this week? I’d love to hear from you here or on Instagram!!
Leave a Reply