Shame — 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.

Shine Your Light, and Watch Shame Subside

"The difference between shame and guilt is the difference between ‘I am bad’ and ‘I did something bad.’ " ~ Brené Brown

With all of the demands you have on your time and attention as a caregiver, have you ever felt as if what you do is never ENOUGH? Thoughts like that can lead to shame. Shame is internal, personal, and tied to our identity. Guilt, on the other hand, stems from actions, not identity.

Growth MindsetKristi HornerMay 15, 2025Guilt, Shame

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.

Don’t Let Your Inner Critic Shame You

“Empathy is the antidote to shame.” – Brené Brown

This week’s topic deals with two of the most complicated feelings we have, and the way we deal with those feelings can have a great impact on our sense of self-esteem, self-worth, and self-growth. We’re talking about guilt and shame.

Growth MindsetKristi HornerMay 16, 2024Guilt, Shame, Redefining Guilt & Shame

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.

The Opposite of Shame

This week, we’re talking about two feelings that can be hard to understand, recognize, and respond to, even though they are common to all of us. The words “guilt” and “shame” are often used interchangeably, but they are very different. The fact that it is so hard for many of us to distinguish between the two and focus on them openly led us to think about them in a different way, which is why we chose redefining guilt and shame as this week’s topic.

Growth MindsetKristi HornerMay 17, 2023Guilt, Shame, Redefining Guilt & Shame

One Way to Build Resilience to Shame – Reach Out!

Continuing our theme of resilience, this week’s dual topics are guilt and shame, and how to tell the difference between them. Guilt is what we feel if we do something specific that goes against our values. Shame can be the painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by our awareness of doing something wrong.

Emotional WellnessKristi HornerApril 9, 2020Guilt, Shame, Resilience

Don't Give in to Shame

Guilt and shame are very different things. We are guilty of something if we’ve broken a law or a rule, or if something we’ve done has offended or hurt someone. Nobody’s perfect, and we’ve all been guilty of something at some time in our lives, whether it was intentional or not.

Emotional WellnessKristi HornerMarch 24, 2019Guilt, Shame