Human Beings remain the only species on this great planet that is utterly determined in separating themselves by their differences; somehow it’s been programmed into our mindset that we were meant to operate in this fashion.
For some, are completely oblivious that every single thing we do, think, say, believe… comes from the mindset.
We’ve managed to sort ourselves into categories based on race, religion, politics, or by our financial statuses; and we’ve become quite creative over the years on how we go about doing this to ourselves adding even more of them; the fact remains that we possess more similarities than we’d like to own up too.
How is it that we allow our commonalities to keep us from allowing ourselves to further know other’s that could very well become our closest and dearest friends?
We each bleed the same color of blood, we all need air to breath, we each have to be born, and every last one of us must die.
While there are certainly other things that we each possess that make us sisters and brothers of the Universe; there is one similarity in particular that I would like to discuss today. The thing that connects also separates us most in my opinion, and that is our mental mindset.
Whatever we each call ours, whether attitude, way of thinking, behaviorism, ego, mental make-up, psyche, belief system, or personality glitch; I think it’s safe to say that we each have one and it controls us in more ways, than we would like to admit that it does.
For me, I have always been a bit different than I was raised to be. For most of my life I’ve always had Iron Sharpeners that didn’t necessarily look like me, think like me, or shared my personal beliefs or values. It’s never been that serious to me that my friends didn’t go to the same school as I did, they weren’t black, they believed in God or didn’t. Who cares?!
Yet, I’ve always been declared by my family and peers as trying to be something that I’m not.
They gave a name for it – but my way of thinking – more now than ever, is to never give things of such ignorance the energy or life to mature in my mind. For I know now, the seed that I decide to plant there will eventually take root and grow.
Wikipedia defines the mindset as being, a set of assumptions, methods or notations held by one or more people or groups of people which is so established that it creates a powerful incentive within these people or groups to continue to adopt or accept prior behaviors, choices, or tools.
That to me is powerful enough to stop the post right here, but let’s proceed a bit further. Shall we?
The other day I was feeding my mind when I ran across a fellow blogger’s site by the name of Annemarie Cross from AnnemarieCross.com.
She had written a post titled, “22 thought-provoking Mindset Quotes”; where she also stated a truth about our mindsets, “The level of success and achievement that we reach in our businesses is very much determined by our attitude and our mindset.”
I totally agree with Annemarie on this statement, and would only add for the sake of this post, that it’s the same level of success and achievement that we reach not only in business, but in every aspect of our lives – that is what determines where we find ourselves in life.
For example, I believe that the very people that will need this post the most will avoid it because of maybe 1) who wrote the article 2) what it’s discussing 3) for the simple fact that they will have to actually read the material.
That’s not to be an insult, but it seems to me that our mindsets control these very things.
Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex… It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction. –Albert Einstein
What Does Will Smith Have to Say About our Mindsets
There’s a quote that I was unable to find who actually says it, but it pretty much states that we have to step outside of what we were taught to believe, so that we might be who we could potentially become.
It’s not about trying to be better than the next person, or outshining someone else; we are such a competitive society that any time someone steps out of “the norm”, they are automatically put into the category of being a “sell out”, “trying to be something their not” or “forgetting where they came from”; which seems absolutely ludicrous to me. Would you not agree?
Shouldn’t we all aspire to be better than our predecessors? Isn’t that what they would have wanted?
We should always aim to be better than we were the day before. We should constantly and consistently seek to become better than we were on yesterday.
To understand the power of our mindset is to understand our own inner power. There are many that are controlled by having the wrong mindset, and then wonder why they keep getting the exact same results. In order for any change to occur in our lives we must first know that the problem could very well be our perceptions taught and learned throughout our lives. If anyone wants to change their life circumstances… then their mindset is where they should begin. ~Deeone Higgs
I ran across a video not to long ago where the video author, FullPowerMarketing, shared a collaboration of interviews on Will Smith’s views on mindset, and I wanted to share it with you all today.
Take a look and really listen to the message. I hope therein lies some type of clarity of the importance we should take into consideration of how our mindset determines our success in our lives.
I have a few favorite parts throughout this video, but for me the most crucial part was Will Smith’s statment, “I know who I am and I know what I believe; and that’s all I need to know. So, from there, you do what you need to do.”
I hope what you decide to do is enjoy this AWESOME video, and at the end of this piece share your thoughts and feedback with me and the other Fellow Releaser’s.
Will Smith’s “Mindset Wisdom”
Let’s discuss mindset….
What comes to mind when you hear the word mindset? Do you think it’s difficult to change our mindsets? Why is it when an individual change their mindset or way of thinking they have to cope with criticism? How did you enjoy the video? What did you enjoy the most?
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on this article.
If you enjoyed this article, let’s pay it forward and share it with others as well.
On a Side Note: Next Thursday we will be Welcoming Steven Rice as a guest on “The Release”, from TrueSpiritualAwakening. You’re definitely in for a treat. :)May you each find your own Release of old mindsets, and Master your life ahead of you!
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Deeone,
Our mindsets can be the great divider of the human race. At a time when unity is needed more than ever, we remain disunited because of our views and beliefs. Is it not possible to have views and beliefs that embraces everyone instead of a select few? Must there be a threat great enough before we put aside our individual mindsets to unite for the greater good? Would it be too late by then?
I have always been fascinated by great rulers in history. The hallmark of a great ruler is one who is able to listen to good advice. This requires a truly open mindset because not all advice is pleasant and it may not come from a favoured source. But for the sake of the greater good, one who is able to keep an open mindset and encompass all ideas lest he or she misses gems of wisdom will indeed go far in life.
Mindset is not always easy to change since it may identify closely with our self-image and identity. But even so, it may be possible to change parts of our mindset that are no longer producing the desired results. I may not agree with or like someone, but if that person has wise insights to add, I should at least keep an open mind and consider the merits of his suggestion. If it is useful, I will use it. If it is not, I will discard it. This is also how I handle criticism. Being flexible in this manner helps me to gain ideas I would not have gotten otherwise.
Thank you for sharing this lovely article!
Irving the Vizier
The Vizier recently posted this awesomeness..The Vizier on Dealing with Pain
Hi Irving,
First off, thanks for that awesome contribution to this post, my friend. It hit all of the key points and queries I was seeking to engage from readers on this post.
I share in your outlook that when it seems we need to be more unified than ever before, many in our society have chosen rather to further divide themselves and close their minds to change and the acceptance of other’s, all because they would rather not participate or practice in something that we all have free will to do for ourselves; which is use our own better judgments and make our own decisions. No where did anyone ever say that just because an individual accepts another would they have to adopt their practices.
Views, beliefs, and opinions that not long ago were said to be apart of the world’s great diversity, are now being pushed on to other people and seemingly suggested that if not adopted then that individual certainly isn’t worthy to be apart of our “circle of trust”. Who formed this so called “circle of trust” anyway? And why are we allowing them to advance with this ludicrous idea? To me that makes me think that human being’s ego’s are growing bigger and bigger every new year we are fortunate enought to see.
Indeed it takes an open mind to lead… I’m almost to the point of believing that there are no longer any people that possess open mindsets becoming leaders. Too many are more concerned about pleasing the masses and not owning their own values and beliefs; and then standing firmly on those values and beliefs. Today it’s more of “join my cause”, “believe what I believe”, “conform to my opinion or way of thinking”, or you will not become a leader.
When did that happen? When did the people get the voice to tell a true leader what to believe? I always thought it was the other way around. Mike Jones once said, “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.”
Is this still what we look for in ourselves and in our leaders? I’m not sure, but it is what I seek to look for more in myself.
Like you, I’ve learn to take what is useful to me and my personal growth and discard the rest. I’ve learned to stand firmly on what I believe, unless the need for change of perception is presented in such a way that all the facts line up and causes me to know that I must adopt those beliefs. Otherwise, I no longer allow the masses to form my opinions of what life on this earth will be for me. This has certainly come with age, but I’m so glad for it’s arrival in my life.
Awesome feedback, my friend. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with “The Release”. Have a most awesome rest of the week ahead.
Deeone recently posted this awesomeness..Releasing My Mindset
Wonderful post Deeone and very well said.
I’ve seen this interview with Will before and he’s one smart young man. I say that because he’s had the right mindset the majority of his life which is why he is where he is today.
Our own limiting beliefs are what holds us back from being where we want to be in life or having want we want. I never really understood all of this until I ventured into the online industry and learned that without the right thinking, success will be out of your reach.
It’s obvious to me through my own experiences with friends that there are just certain people who prefer to stay inside their box and live their lives doing the same things everyday. Oh sure, they still gripe and complain about everything but aren’t willing to do anything about it. What a shame to waste your life away in such a manner.
As for us! We are thinkers, doers, givers, dreamers and believers. It may have taken me my entire life to understand that I truly can be, do and have whatever I want but there’s no time like the present right! Age is just a number.
Thank you for sharing this post Deeone and it’s definitely worth the read!
Have a beautiful day my friend.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted this awesomeness..Two Traffic Sources You Cannot Do Without
Good day Adrienne,
I’m very pleased you enjoyed the post, my friend. I actually hesitated in posting it, and almost made a lot of drastic changes in what is there now. I thought… “This might not go over well with a lot people.” But then something within me (I’m sure my intuition) said, isn’t that the main reason for the post in the first place. My conviction to myself pushed the publish button.
I know for me I have definitely been the one that allowed my past mindset to hold me back with thought such as the one that I had when posting this. I never wanted before to ruffle any feathers; I was afraid of doing so, and not being liked for doing so.
Like you, I never understood the importance of having the right mindset until I ventured into the online world. I’m sure you can attest to the fact that it wasn’t just the online industry that caused me to take self-inventory, but some of those that I opened my mine to meet that let me know that maybe… just maybe the way I was taught and the way I’ve come to believe was wrong.
I think that for us to be able to see that in ourselves takes a hell of a lot of courage, valor, and independence to be able to reach such a conclusion. And we should feel most excellent about our ability to be able to do so. There are more than there are not that aren’t able or even willing to see the change that’s needed within them.
Like you said, they would rather judge, gripe, complain, and see what’s wrong with the world; than they are willing to change themselves and see the change that they can make in the world.
Those that can do this are indeed, the big thinkers, the actual doers, the ultimate givers, the vivid dreamers, and the believers that I think will change the way the world will become. They will refuse to let the world become what the smaller mindsets of it wish for it to become.
No matter when the change happens to take place, as long as it does is all that matters. It’s taken us both a minute to see what needed to take place in our lives, and I refuse to believe that the Universe has place a time limit on anyone. They need only act when they become aware.
Thank you for your most awesome contribution to this post, my friend. As always, I’m extremely grateful for your voice here at “The Release”.
May you have an awesome day as well! Cheers!
Deeone recently posted this awesomeness..The Shocking Truth About Taking Chances
Deeone, this is fantastic! I agree, our commonalities outnumber our differences, especially in relevance. Focusing on our mindset makes all the difference in our lives. If only I had known this growing up! Keep up the great work!
Good day Renee,
Thank you so much! You’ve made my heart smile seeing you here today.
I think it takes an openness of ourselves for us to see the commonalities that we each possess, my friend. It’s something that we have to want to see; which unfortunately many don’t choose to want available to themselves.
I use to have a very negative outlook on life. It wasn’t very long ago, it was just a year ago this month… when this was the case, I always had people around me, and my experience online was totally different as well. If I complained and griped about every little thing, there was always a group of people that supported and egged me on. As soon as that changed, I didn’t see any of them.
My life reminds me of a Facebook or Google+ News Feed… whatever I send out that’s what I tend to see on a regular basis. I have to put the people that bring me otherwise into a list… and then I have to visit that list in order to get that energy. Life pretty much is the same exact way.
I’m glad that you enjoyed the post! Thank you as well for the encouragement.
Always a pleasure to hear from you, my dear friend.
May you have a most excellent day! Cheers!
Deeone recently posted this awesomeness..Anthony Tony Robbins Helps In Four Days to Answer Five Questions
Hi Deeone,
I think this is one of your best posts yet. It is so wonderful to see the growth and maturity and wisdom of you and it being translated and shared through your blog.
A couple of things resonated with me in that beautiful montage of W.S.
1) being unrealistic…so thankful for that bc it makes me think…”I’m NOT crazy”…lol
2) the power of making a choice/decision
There is so much untapped power, greatness, or as you would say…AWESOMENESS in each and everyone of us. The mindset is also VERY powerful and what separates the ‘awesome ones’ are those that feed the awesome and releasing side of the mindset vs. the prisoner side of mindset.
Keep releasing awesomeness my friend! Sharing this everywhere
~Elise.
Elise recently posted this awesomeness..……flying in the dark
Awesomeness Indeed, Elise!
You know, I can feel the change, growth, maturity, and wisdom, taking place; so it’s very encouraging to know that it’s being seen outwardly as well.
It’s validation that the work I’m putting into grooming myself is actually paying off. So thank you for the confirmation and validation, my friend. That really means a lot to me.
I absolutely love Will’s words of wisdom in this video! So much so, that this is actually the second time over the last two weeks I’ve shared it; once on each of my social media platform profiles and now on “The Release”.
I also love the points that resonated with you as well… it’s right on point with everything I’ve been telling myself here the last few weeks… and no sweetheart, you’re NOT crazy!
Imagine my surprise, after 34 years tapping into that power and greatness… and oh yes, AWESOMENESS
that I was told was never there. Finding it, using it, and seeing the fruits of it has truly blown my mind! I was totally a prisoner of my mindset; and the very thing that broke me out of that prison was something that I saw as being a grave loss. Little could I have ever imagined what would come from that loss.
So yes, it’s in us Elise. We just need to decide that we want to tap into it. Once we decide… it happens with us applying MAD ACTION!
Thanks for your wonderful and encouraging feedback, my friend. I truly appreciate it and you.
Have a most excellent day, my friend.
Deeone recently posted this awesomeness..Change
Hi Deeone,
Over the years my mindset went from how are we different to how are we the same. The truth is that we are all way more alike then we are different and are differences should help us grow together not push us apart in my opinion.
“We have to step outside of what we were taught to believe in order that we might become who we could be.” This one is so true!
Justin Mazza recently posted this awesomeness..Changes to Mazzastick.com for 2012
Hey Justin,
I believe if I met you on the street, I would totally be able to tell that you are exactly how I imagine from reading your post and comments here, my friend. And that is as being very open minded and totally cool as heck (not the word I wanted to use, but I digress)!
I think those that dwell on the differences desire to do so. They look for the differences. They want nothing more than to keep a close focus on how much they stand out and other’s from themselves.
That’s fine and all, but coming from someone that did this for years; I’d tell them that they are totally missing out on life, potential friendships, and no doubt wasting precious time on the small stuff.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post man! I really appreciate you sharing with me your thoughts on it.
Have a wonderful end of the week, mate.
Deeone recently posted this awesomeness..Friends: Men and Women of Iron Part 1
Hi Deeone
This was an excellent post and you brought up so many great points. How we think determines everything about our world and so many of us cling to beliefs that do not serve us like they are fact. I think the major problem is they look at all of the “proof”" they have gathered as a result of their experiences but do not realize that their inside world influenced the outside and not the other way around. I personally have made many significant changes with the way I think and many out there certainly do not agree, but it is of no concern to me. For some people, I think having a more negative mindset offers some sort of protection for them — it allows them to avoid taking responsibility for their lives, not having to deal with the fears and doubts that come along with significant change or going after the things we want. They are unhappy, yet it is comfortable and familiar.
Kelli Cooper recently posted this awesomeness..Is it Can’t or Won’t?
Hi Kelli,
It’s great to see you here again and to read your thoughts! It’s always a pleasure, my friend.
I would absolutely agree that many have no idea how much their thoughts play a part in the outcomes of life. And something that I am coming to find out is that those that don’t know fail to believe that it’s the case at all. Little do they know is that doubt is a thought as well, and it forms just as much of their life as thinking optimistic would.
I was one of those that looked at the “proof” of past experiences and allowed the “proof” to form my thoughts about life. Little did I know, that the “proof” was only formed by what I thought about the situation before I even performed it.
I think the human mind looks for evidence and puts time limits for that evidence to show up. And this just hit me… When we look for evidence to come of our positive thinking immediately or with time limits in place, we are actually putting “limits” on the evidence and soaking it down with doubt; we think positive because we should and it makes for awesome living, not expecting things to come from it. This is the lesson that I’m learning the most from changing my mindset.
I shouldn’t go in thinking that just because my mindset has changed everything else will change because of it. It’s like planting a seed in the ground; yes we expect it to grow, but if we go out and check up on it every single day we’re wasting time on other things we could very well be doing in the meantime.
I loved your feedback! Like you, I think a lot of people hold on to their mindset as a defense mechanism from being affected by any more pain like the ones they’ve already experience. Not ever taking into consideration that the reason this is the case in the first place is because of the way they were thinking and feeling. We have to take responsibility of our life and our thoughts… it’s the only way to bring change into either. Very awesome contribution here, my friend
And I thank you so much for being apart of the conversation.
Cheers my friend. 
Deeone recently posted this awesomeness..Own Your Butterfly Wings!
Loved the post Deeone!
Yours is the second post I am reading about mindset today! And it sure changes my mindset having read two of them today
Yes indeed, you are so right when you talk about mindset and how it changes how we think and perceive things. I believe that it is ALL in the MIND! I could make out between the lines what you meant by how others or your family sees you and your reply to how you see things as being- “For I know now more than ever, the seed that I decide to plant there will eventually take root and grow.”- powerful words!
That is so true- in-fact what people think or take us to be need not be what we actually are. That is their way of thinking about us, and how we think about ourselves may be totally different, yet sometimes we do get influenced by others which surely does bring us down. I guess the moment you want to change and have a different mindset, you can- it just takes a second for doing that and turning a leaf
Those lines of Will’s- I know who I am and I know what I believe; and that’s all I need to know. So, from there, you do what you need to do.- are powerful and so is the video- apt for the post
Thanks so much for sharing and it sure is a wonderful reminder as well. Cheers to a great and positive mindset!
Have a wonderful weekend dear friend
Harleena Singh recently posted this awesomeness..The Power of Prayer in a Family
Good day to you, Harleena!
As I was writing this post, you would be surprised on just how many articles and post I read about mindset. And everything I read seemed to confirm or validate what I had written. I’m certainly glad that I’ve had a change of mindset and perception about life. The song just popped in my mind… “I can see clearly now…”, and it’s definitely because of a change of mindset.
To understand what we put into to our minds and allow to take root I think is of the most importance. I can’t stand to hear people talk all slow and defeated, I’ve ended many conversation this week because the person on the other end of the phone was sounding all defeated. I’ve even done so in the past myself! But I know now, that even what we allow to be whispered into our ears over the phone has the chance of being planted in our thoughts.
That’s how powerful I think our words are, you know? We can speak life or death, joy or sadness, success or defeat; it’s totally and utterly up to each of us. I want to be known, and not just known, but actually speak good into other people lives. However, I know that the only way it can be truly effective is if I start by speaking it into my own life, first and foremost. And so that’s where I must begin… when that happens it is natural for life to happen into other’s when responding to them or speaking with them.
I’m so glad thought that you enjoyed this post, and I hope I come across the other post about mindset, if I haven’t already, that you’ve read.
Wishing you a most awesome day, my friend! Thank you so much for your wonderful contribution to this article. It means the world to me. Cheers!
Deeone recently posted this awesomeness..Releasing My Mindset
(noun) mentality, outlook, mindset, mind-set
a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations
Synonyms: mindset, expectation, learning ability, mind-set, brain, mentality, brainpower, prospect, mental capacity, wit, outlook, lookout
———–
Dee you made me think tonight- had to do some word shopping- mindset really hit me as brainpower! It’s really hard to overcome life messages, however when we challenge those messages and seek change, our lives become much more positive. I have a bumper sticker on my car that states “if everyone was blind no one would know who to hate”. There is a lot of true in that statement. We miss so much in our lives because of lack of acceptance of others and of ourselves. Mindset….. Thanks man- love ya son!
Good day Gloria,
I’m so pleased that you did some “word shopping” on the word mindset, and shared your findings with me. I really appreciate that. Thank you for sharing your thoughts from the post with me and the other Fellow Releasers.
You’re absolutely right about it being extremely difficult for us to overcome the messages we obtain throughout our lives. As we both know though, Hard is not the same as impossible.
This weekend I thought about this very thing a lot myself. In searching myself for my own answers and truly releasing the “Me” I once knew, I’ve come to understand that the “old Me” really fights against the “new me” in an attempt to keep me from accepting the changes that I know needs to take place. From many other articles, post, and books I’ve read, I believe this to be something very normal for us to expect when making such changes to our mindsets. Whenever we tell our ego that there are changes needed and that we are taking action to make those changes happen; we should expect a little resistance from our subconscious minds.
Think about it this way, for years we have given ourselves permission to believe and think a certain way, and then over time we tell ourselves that what we once knew to be right was actually wrong, for us. So sure, resistance is bound to happen. Resistance however isn’t a reason to give up on making it happen though. It only lets me know that I should come up with a better way of blocking out or silencing my ego voice; and put trust in myself that I know what’s best for me. Once this takes place, I believe the resistance we face in our minds will be silenced by self-esteem, self-confidence, and a true love and respect for ourselves that we have our best interest in mind for ourselves.
I’m so glad that this post resonated with you so powerfully, my friend. Keep up the awesome work, and know that I love you just as much.
Have a powerful week of self-discovery, Gloria. Cheers!
You are right — it is SUPER important to control what we allow into our minds–from images, to songs, to words that people say to us and around us, people’s behaviors toward us–everything. The most powerful thing that we possess in of our bodies besides our heart is our mind, and it is amazing how everyday things that we pay no attention to and that are so tiny can influence and alter our mindsets in such a HUGE way!!! It took me like forever to realize this–some people unfortunately never realize it. You have to be very careful what you “feed” yourself, and always be conscious of everything and anything around you that could potentially damage your mindset or keep it stagnant (or even worse, take it backwards). Once I started to realize this, I changed SO many things about my life–my activities, who I let into my space, what I watch and music I listen to–everything. Even now, if I find that I’m allowing too much to influence my mindset, I tune everything out–no phone, text, internet–nothing. I give myself time to “brain-dump” and get my mindset back into the right state.
Loving this post–VERY timely my friend!!
MELISASource recently posted this awesomeness..Mary Mary’s Advice on Having Your Best Year Ever
Good day Makeba,
You really put a lot of AWESOMENESS in your feedback to the post, my friend.
I totally agree with you. Our minds are like a CPU… everything we allow in it takes up residence there whether we want it to or not. As you mentioned in your comment, many are simply oblivious to this fact and go day to day taking in mess that shouldn’t be given the space in our thoughts, let alone their lives. I’ve noticed though in the short time I’ve been releasing my mindset that it takes a conscious awareness for us to consider what we actually allow into our thoughts. If we aren’t openly aware, then there’s simply no way of noticing what should and shouldn’t be there. On top of that, most people take what they’ve heard, true or otherwise, and apply those things sometimes unknowingly to their life; and are left wondering why the outcome they get in life isn’t aligned to the results they want. Never once considering or questioning what is being passed through their mental channels.
So if ever we reach a place in our lives where we are constantly considering our own personal growth by taking into consideration our mental mindsets and what we’ve learned along the way, and that we are now daily practicing; I think that we should be very grateful for this and continue to allow for it to take place. Like you, I’ve become very aware of what I watch and listen too. I don’t let just anyone feed me. And most importantly, I’ve become very aware of what I mentally feed myself.
There use to be a time that I would take other’s opinions and views as my own; never questioning it, even if I didn’t totally agree with it. What I’ve learned over time however is that we are in full control of what beliefs, views, and opinions, we adopt as our own. And that we should definitely be mindful the those things that we adopt to be ours is aligned to what our personal values and character stands for.
Thank you for such a phenomenal contribution to the post, my friend. I really enjoyed reading your feedback, as usual.
Wishing you an amazing week ahead! Cheers!
I had just been thinking about this, Deeone! When I was responding to comments about stereotyping on my blog, I realized that it’s really an innocent phenomenon that humans categorize — we just have too much information to process at once, so it’s easier to put things into groups and assign labels. When it comes to similarities, we have to consciously look for and recognize them. And we need posts like these to keep reminding us about how we *are* all brothers and sisters. What a cozy feeling! =)
At the same time, I think traveling has supported my own process in releasing my mindset. Maybe it would have been a million times more difficult for me if I had never experienced the world or been interested in the world. That’s not to say that I’m perfect at it, but when I see such different ways of being in the world, it also frees me to be a different kind of person at times!
Samantha Bangayan recently posted this awesomeness..This Expat’s All-Encompassing New Year’s Resolution
I agree with you that at times the categorizing that we do can be innocent at times, but some people tend to take it to new levels.
However, you make a valid point, there’s just too much information to process; and for some people that can tend to be overwhelming. So I think for them it’s just easier to put an entire group in a box and label them all as being the same.
If people could manage to see each other as brother’s and sister’s and cease to see the differences more than the similarities; I think there would be a serious decline in a lot of the worlds problems. This maybe a bit too “kumbaya” or wishful thinking, but I hang on to the hope that one day society will see it as such.
I’m with you on the the fact that travelling has supported in releasing my mindset, as well. Tim and I have often discussed how my deciding to enter the Navy and living up and down the East coast has helped me tremendously. Had I not ventured outside of my small town, I think that my way of thinking would not have been the case for me. I would probably be still doing the same things I was doing back when I called North Carolina home. That doesn’t make me better or perfect either, but I’m still nonetheless very grateful.
So I totally relate to you there, my friend. 
Oh my darling Deeone, you KNOW you are riling me up to talk about mindset in such an open and honest way.
Mindset is the key to every thing. The very thing we need to unlock our own inner power is realizing that we alone have the power to change it. More importantly is the realization that it’s all US, we get to choose it.
Our mindset is the governing body to our belief system and that is what we base our choices on. Our minds can set us free or limit us terribly.
Your talking about how we often sort ourselves (and thus limit our own growth) reminded me of an old saying that at the end of the game the Queen and Bishop get put away in the same box as the pawns…or somethin like that.
I’ve always felt it is wonderful to celebrate what makes us unique but also just as important to see how we are all so much the same at the base of it all.
Our mindset and our belief systems are such very powerful forces in our life but they are owned by us, we must not let them own us. Don’t you think?
Bonnie recently posted this awesomeness..A perfect day
Good Day Bonnie,
Open and honest is always good.
It’s amazing that many people don’t really understand or accept that our mindsets is everything to us in this world. It’s in our mindsets that we treat other’s and ourselves in the manner we do. We make a decision based on the ideas and principles we’ve learned to look at the world through the eyes of past life lessons gone before, that may have stuck around unbeknownst to us. And so, I think that we should constantly check our mindset and make sure that it’s aligned to our current beliefs and values that we’ve come to cherish as adults.
In the past, I have went through life operating in a fashion that I thought would be pleasing to those that shared their life lessons with me; adopting their views, opinions, ideas, and beliefs as my own. When I begin to examine my mindset, I quickly realized that I had nothing of my own that I was practicing. It was all borrowed and loaned to me. Sadly, I was getting the same results as those that shared their lessons, and they were results that I was fighting hard to avoid. There was certainly a need for change on my part, that’s for sure.
I loved this, “Your talking about how we often sort ourselves (and thus limit our own growth) reminded me of an old saying that at the end of the game the Queen and Bishop get put away in the same box as the pawns…or somethin like that.”
That’s powerful!! And also a very good way of looking at it.
When I was growing up and in the little town I grew up in, I was taught (unknowingly and mostly unconsciously) to remain in my community, everything I saw growing up had to do with my ethnicity. The only time I would come in direct contact with someone outside of it was school or at the local stores. I cannot ever recall having someone of another ethnicity visiting my families home. And I didn’t visit anyone else’s outside of my ethnicity until the 10th or 11th grade. It was very separated and to me it seemed the community wanted it that way. Looking back on that now it seems absolutely ludicrous to me. I didn’t care for it back then and I don’t care for it much now.
How can we live in a world so diverse and not be exposed to any of it?
Yet, people do it every single day. Only seeing or carrying on a conversation with other’s outside of their comforts zone at work or at school. I certainly was supposed to end up with that same mindset, because it was all I saw growing up. Thank goodness I wanted a different approach to my own life. I have learned so much since leaving that small town and really taking in all that the world has to offer. Constantly stepping outside of my comforts zone and befriending people of all ethnicities, religions, and various faiths, that I’m sure my family and old friends wonder what am I trying to prove. Little do they know, I’m not trying to prove anything… I simply am aware that we shouldn’t live on this awesome planet forsaken parts of it because we aren’t aware of the practices or fail to approve of the differences. That’s the great gift learning one another provides us with. We’re meant to learn from one another, and not doing so actually leaves us with the short end of the stick.
I don’t know exactly when it happened for me, but like you said, I realized one day that my mindset and my belief system were mine to control; and I have all the power to control what makes them both and what I choose to believe to be true for Deeone. That’s the most liberating realization I think anyone can come too. And that’s what causes an individual to truly release their own mindset indeed!
Hi Deeone,
First of all, that picture was super creepy, but effective.
Second, I love the intro paragraph and that alone was worthy of sharing. We really do love to compare ourselves by our differences. He’s rich, I’m poor. They have a house, I rent. He’s beautiful, I’m ugly. (P.S. not necessarily how I feel, just saying).
Incredible look at our mindset, and if there is one thing you’ve demonstrated to me is the power of your positive mindset. You surely are a person who takes actions into his own hands and shares goodness with others.
Thanks for being an outstanding role model.
Bryce
Good day Bryce,
Creepy, huh? That’s funny! To be honest with you… when I first saw it myself, I thought so too. It sorta looked painful, didn’t it? 
There’s some who might say that how people compare and categorize one another is simply human nature. I don’t know about that one… I’d go as far as saying, maybe human practices; but human nature, that’s a stretch! We weren’t born to think in that manner, and human nature are those attributes we naturally have at birth that mature overtime. Such as blinking or eating… that’s human nature.
Looking for differences and treating one another differently based on those differences; that’s human practice. But, unfortunately it’s apart of some peoples mindset that they would rather cling to, than see it changed. Sad though, isn’t it?
On a lighter note, thanks for the super compliments, my friend. I really appreciated the admiration. Coming from you, that means a lot. Thank you, Bryce.
Hi Deeone,
This is a brillant post. The points you raised about us all being very similar to each other, yet we still create differences is so true. As a Hindu, I believe that we are all One, yet differences are created by our mindsets and I believe this is because most of the time our minds are working at the ego level. The ego is very insecure and strives off competition and creating differences.
Hiten recently posted this awesomeness..Stuttering Hub connects with 2achieveyourgoals.com
Good day Hiten and Welcome to “The Release”!
I’m glad that you enjoyed the post, my friend. It’s a topic that I myself had to work through, and once I begin to form my own views and opinions; while letting go of the ones given to me. I quickly realized that most of the things that I had come to believe about the world and the people on it was far from being right. Many would prefer to continue seeing the differences because they were taught to do so, and the fear of what lays on the other side of them forming their own insights seems drastically scary to them. I was one of those. And you’re absolutely right, it’s a serious ego trip that we must drop in order to move forward and achieve the goals we’ve set for ourselves. I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts on the post. It’s a pleasure to have met you. I look forward to getting to know you better. Thanks again for stopping in.
Deeone recently posted this awesomeness..Thank your Doubters
HI Deeone,
This is a very profoundly written post! It certainly contains the great ideas and tips that will certainly contribute to one’s success when carefully applied. I concur with you that having the right mindset is the key to success. I have been writing extensively about the Personal Development & having a Positive Mindset on my Blog. I highly embrace the subject.
Hi Sonia and Welcome to the Release!
I’m pleased that you discovered my blog and enjoyed what you’ve read here. I’m equally pleased to know that you enjoyed the ideas and tips as well. I’ve also been enlighten that not only is having the right mindset the key to success; it is also the key to a successful life as well. Many of us think that just because we don’t achieve our ideas of success, that a program, project, belief, or what have you doesn’t work. I used to be such a doubter. I never really tried to apply the techniques, but I just didn’t buy into the whole positive thinking… change your thoughts… and all that mumbo jumbo. When I would make the conscious decision to apply these practices to my own life, on a daily basis; I begin to see astonishing results. Not in my bank account, nor in my material gain, but the results was definitely evident through my life.
I hope and trust that the same has been the case for you as well.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me. I truly appreciate it!