I'm going to be just a little sassy for a quick second...I'm mainly speaking to myself here, but if this hits home for any of you, maybe that's okay too. "Stop shrinking to fit yesterday's version of you". One of the things that I really struggle with hearing is the phrase "This is just who I am".. Is it who we are or is it the habits that we've built over time that 'feel' ingrained? We often tie identity to the things to which we've habituated but does the need to then become our identity? Maybe, maybe not. (Also, a side note---I think that this month, more than any other months in the past, I've been challenged to really embrace challenges--this has been through conversations, through readings, through random IG reels (I guess that's not so random), through too many mediums to really ignore as mere coincidences. It's a call to action. If we don't embrace challenges willingly, challenges will find us and then the question will be: Are we in a place where we've built the warrior within to be able to handle it? ) A nod to @John D @John Kennedy @Dan 'Remmy' Stourac @LaTanya Carter @Ruth aka Grace Rose @Dr. Melissa Partaka @Steve Webb and Jesus who I can't tag (and to each one of you that have shared the challenges that you're taking on and your perseverance!!). One of the strongest findings in psychology is that our beliefs about ability influence how we behave, how we handle tough situations and also how we deal with setbacks. Carol Dweck (a short video below) has done research on the difference between how people handle situations. A fixed mindset sees abilities as static. A growth mindset sees abilities as skills that can change with effort, strategy, and support. The difference sounds simple, but it shifts everything about how we respond to challenge.