We talk a lot in our family about having a growth mindset. The boy naturally tends toward more of a fixed one, which can be challenging at times. More on that later.
As for the pups, they are all into growth these days. JuJu is a natural growth mindset. Baby boy is inquisitive, loves to figure things out. Obstacles are just a blip on the radar. For instance, mommy puts me on the sofa to keep me from running around. Clearly, a test. He sized up the situation and after about a day, found that leaping his five pound little body was the clear winner. This quickly escalated to how do I escape from the walking stroller. Remember, this cute picture of him standing like a king in his chariot, with his head peeping from the top.
Well JuJu the Magnificent decided one day that he had enough. Jailbreak time. He leaped like a cat to the top, scrambled down the front, only to miscalculate and land on his head. After much whimpering, it was decided the boy was fine. But it was clear, the boy has a knack for the growth mindset. He will not be deterred.
And then there is Reecie. She tends more to the fixed mindset. She clearly overachieves in some areas. For instance, she was the first to make her way up and down the big stairs. But, there are things, big things, that can be obstacles. Our daily walks, are a prime example. For weeks, we coaxed her along, bribing her with treats. But she stubbornly held her ground. If she wanted to stop and smell the flowers, well she did. And she only wanted to move, when she was good and ready. That big old harness was clearly an obstacle to her. She clearly didn’t like being tied to it. Then one day, when it looked like all was lost, Reecie began to walk on her on and in time with us. She had learned that with a little bit of perseverence a fixed mindset can shift to a growth.
Which brings me back to Zachary. He’s been working like crazy to fix his bent head when pitching. It’s not been easy, and there have been fits of frustration, but we can continue to encourage him to try. Growth really only happens when you take that leap, trust yourself, after putting in the right work in. For Reecie it was learning to let go and simply enjoying the task of walking. For JuJu, it’s learning valuable lessons, that he hopefully won’t do again. For Zachary, it’s re-learning a pitching motion and staying mentally positive. Growth. It’s the only path forward.
