Black and White Thinking — Blog — Courage to Caregivers

MAY 2025 Newsletter: Growth Mindset - The Power to Believe in Ourselves

"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." - Maya Angelou

Failure can feel terrifying. We worry about the consequences. We struggle with managing our own and others' expectations. We stress over how our friends, family, and community may perceive us. When we have so many things to fear, it can feel easy to quit or not even try. In moments where we do fail or perceive ourselves as failing, the shame and guilt of it can hold us back further.

However, a GROWTH MINDSET reminds us of the possibility of learning and growing from our failures. Messing up does not have to be the end. We can make lessons out of our mistakes and find the strength to continue. With a growth mindset, perfection is not the goal. Fostering our belief in ourselves and our ability to learn is the objective.

3 TOOLS TO FOSTER A GROWTH MINDSET

Believe inYourself - You can't start learning if you don't believe in your capability to change and grow. How do you talk to yourself in your mind? Trade demeaning self-talk for self-compassionate words.
Making Mistakes Is Part of the Process - It's hard to learn if you are not willing to make the mistakes that teach you how you can grow. Mistakes can be lessons and they do not have to define you.
Be a Life-Long Learner - What piques your curiosity? Even everyday things like wondering how you can change your morning routine can lead to self-growth. Take the time to find what you are passionate about and learn!

Check out the entire May 2025 Newsletter here.

Finding Meaning in the Gray Areas

"Finding comfort in discomfort is essential - it opens up the possibility of Both/And leading to more creative, generative solutions." ~ Wendy Smith, Both/And Thinking

As a caregiver, you know all too well that daily life is often filled with complex, painful emotions: exhaustion, love, resentment, guilt, pride—sometimes all at once. It’s natural to want to fight these emotions or to shut down to keep yourself from feeling them. But if you have the courage to accept the discomfort, you can open yourself up to the benefits of Both/And thinking—the ability to acknowledge multiple truths at once.

MAY 2024 NEWSLETTER: Who are you BECOMING? Growth Mindset at it's BEST! 🌱

Carol Dweck, Ph.D, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, coined the terms fixed and growth mindset to describe beliefs around learning and intelligence.

Having a growth mindset allows you to BELIEVE in yourself and see yourself as growing. A growth mindset is our belief that we have the power to develop our talents and build our abilities. We can improve ourselves, develop new skills, embrace challenges, overcome setbacks, and reach our potential. Nothing but opportunity and possibility!

"Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as being stuck somewhere you don't belong." ~ Unknown

Having a GROWTH MINDSET is truly the POWER of YET 🌱

When you learn the power of YET, you will forever and always change your language. When you begin to use this one small word - YET - it can make a profound difference. As caregivers, we often hear some of the following ... consider adding YET!

I can't do this ... YET

This doesn't work ... YET

I don't know ... YET

It doesn't make sense ... YET

I don't get it ... YET

I'm not good at this ... YET

Believe in yourself and ANYTHING is possible. BELIEVE ... that you CAN ... that you're WORTHY ... that you are ENOUGH. Believe in yourself and you're halfway there! When negative self-talk and self-doubt creep in, remember the word IMPOSSIBLE says it all ... I'M POSSIBLE.

Check out our entire May Newsletter focused on Growth Mindset here.

A Grain of Truth Is Easy to Miss

“ ‘Yes, and’ reminds us that there are multiple truths and that we, therefore, do not have to simply reject someone when they challenge our assumptions.”

– Toby Sinclair recap from “Both/And Thinking” by Wendy Smith and Marianne Lewis

As we continue to explore this month’s theme of how to develop a growth mindset, we’re finding that some ways of thinking can be beneficial to our progress while other ways of thinking can hold us back. Last week, we discussed how curiosity can help us grow by opening our minds to new ideas and opening ourselves to new connections. This week’s topic is the opposite of curiosity – thinking in extremes can close our minds to the truths that others might see from their perspective, thus inhibiting our growth.

MAY 2023 Newsletter: GROWTH MINDSET ... You Have the Power to Grow 🌱

Carol Dweck, Ph.D, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, coined the terms fixed and growth mindset to describe beliefs around learning and intelligence.

Having a growth mindset allows you to BELIEVE in yourself and see yourself as growing. A growth mindset is our belief that we have the power to develop our talents and build our abilities. We can improve ourselves, develop new skills, embrace challenges, overcome setbacks, and reach our potential. Nothing but opportunity and possibility!

"Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as being stuck somewhere you don't belong." ~ Unknown

As caregivers, we can be hard on ourselves. For just one moment today - pause and notice. Reflect on all that you do. Show yourself some gratitude for the resilience you've show in ...

... the grief you are working through
... the heartbreak you are journeying with
... the pain that has strengthened you

Look at how far you have come. Remember - you have overcome 100% of your hardest days so far. You are still growing! 🌱

Check out our entire May newsletter focused on Growth Mindset here.

Life Is Not a True/False Test

How often do you find yourself thinking in extremes? … I’m either a success or a failure … I’m either right or wrong … You’re either with me or against me.

When we find ourselves thinking in terms of true or false, good or bad, my way or the highway, we fail to recognize that the world is complex, diverse, and filled with shades of gray. Instead, we experience cognitive distortions that inhibit our growth mindset. We use words like “always,” “never,” “impossible,” or “perfect” when we evaluate ourselves and others. We become stuck in our own thinking and limited in our relationships. And we have little chance to learn from our mistakes.

May Newsletter: GROWTH MINDSET ... it's truly the POWER of YET 🌱

Having a fixed mindset is telling yourself that you (and your loved one) can't change.

Having a growth mindset is reminding yourself that you are a perfectly imperfect perpetual work in progress and that anything is possible.

It's NEVER too late to cultivate a growth mindset - your brain is like a rubber band and science tells us that you can learn new things. It starts with believing.

You don't get really good at something - anything - without practice. Your brain is a muscle - give your growth mindset a good workout today!

Check out the May Newsletter focused on GROWTH MINDSET here.

Reality Check: There Are Many “Right” Solutions

This month’s theme is something we talk about a lot, relating to various topics. That’s because having a growth mindset is so important in our continuing efforts to improve ourselves and reach our full potential, whether it’s solving problems, meeting new challenges, or just trying something new.

Spend More Time in the Middle

Our theme this month is all about having a growth mindset, which is a powerful force for self-improvement.