A Growth Mindset Is a Strength Mindset

This month, we’ll be exploring the theme of self-discovery, and a great place to start is by focusing on our strengths as opportunities. Strengths go hand-in-hand with a growth mindset. Identifying areas where you are strongest allows you not only to work on the things you need to improve but also to cultivate your strengths and make them even stronger.

We are all unique, with areas where we are strong and areas where we need to improve. As caregivers, however, it can be hard for us to recognize our own strengths when we are consumed with the daily responsibilities of caregiving. And as we focus on self-growth, it may be difficult for us to appreciate how strong we already are, even as we recognize that continued improvement will make us stronger.

That’s why it’s important to take some time occasionally to review our strengths, especially if we’re faced with a difficult challenge. For me, this starts with a long, deep breath (thanks to our awesome Breathing Meditation Facilitators). Then, I close my eyes and visualize the strongest, healthiest version of ME taking the first step toward my goal. Just one step in the right direction is all it takes to get started.

That first step is always the hardest, and it takes courage. But YOU have the courage and the strength to do hard things. You’ve done it before, and you can do it again. Think of all the times you’ve used your strengths to help you in a relationship, in a professional capacity, or to achieve a personal goal. It may help to list these experiences in a journal as a reminder of how your strengths can be useful in all kinds of situations, not just when you or your loved one is in a crisis. By looking inside yourself, you may even find strengths that you haven’t discovered yet.

And remember, we are all perpetual perfectly imperfect works in progress. Everything we experience and learn continues to add to our strengths every day.

It takes all kinds of strengths – including emotional, physical, intellectual, and interpersonal – to win the tough battles. My guess is that you have strengths in all of these areas. By continuing to build on those strengths and facing your challenges from a position of strength, you can be the healthiest, strongest version of YOU.