A growth mindset is the most valuable tool we can mobilize, both as individuals and as a society. It’s what enables honest #reflection, authentic dialogue, genuine #transformation and sustainable change. A growth mindset is our ability to transform ourselves and our communities into representations of our core values. It’s our greatest superpower.

That’s not to say that it’s easy, though. To grow, we must be able to honestly look back at where we’ve come from, and we must be able to fearlessly and compassionately name our ugly bits, our mistakes, our faults and flaws. This way, they give us the power to transform, rather than us giving them the power to hold us back. 

Even more terrifying, we must be open to how others perceive our behaviors, how others are impacted by us, and what our peers see in us that we might be blind to. Listening with an open heart; accepting others and ourselves; giving ourself the permission to be ‘not-perfect’ so that we create the space to grow into who we want to become: this is the basis of the authentic dialogue between us and the world that is going to help us transform.

The key, as always, likes in the #Ego. The Ego has no compassion, it only condemns. So if it were to truly listen, it would have to turn its condemnation onto itself, and that would be unacceptable. To prevent this, it gets defensive and angry, fogging up the mirror so we can preserve the flattering view of ourselves.

To let go of the Ego is to let go of condemnation. It is to embrace #compassion, for others and for ourselves. And once we have compassion for ourself, for the influences that made us, for our flaws, mistakes and ugly bits, then we can truly look at them, name them, and transform them.