Changing my mindset

This explains a lot.

Actually, I read this article first, and it's making me think - a lot. Growing up, I was constantly told that I had talent that others didn't. And I believed it. But as this last article says:

"You may be naturally talented. So what? The spoils don’t just fall to the people with natural talent. They fall to the people who can do the job well, on time, and with reliability. You might be the best jazz flutist in the world, but if you don’t practice your pieces and ignore what’s going on around you, no ensemble will want you around."

"What if you’re in a fixed mindset, but desire to have a growth mindset instead? The first step is to ask for help from those around you and listen to what they have to say. They’re going to criticize you - and that’s where your real decision happens. Are you going to listen to what they have to say and try to grow from that? Or are you just going to discredit or pooh pooh it?"

"To put it simply, effort, not talent, puts people over the top.

Even more dangerous, labels such as talented and smart and skilled give people the opposite message. Hearing things like that tells people they already have the ability and that they don’t need to grow and work for it. The best positive feedback you can give - or receive - is one that complements you on your ethic or work effort, as it nurtures a growth mentality."

(Something to keep in mind when raising my kids.)

"[...] you’re going to fail at some point. How you deal with that failure is what will make you either a success or a failure in life. If you meet that failure head on, accept the failure, don’t give up, and attempt to learn from it, you’ll succeed. If you avoid the failure and try to find excuses for it, you’ll likely never succeed.

[...] if you find that distinction to be an exciting and interesting and useful one, Mindset is an excellent read."