Honestly, I was lamenting over the start of my next graduate class… Data Managment, which is a nice phasing for “Statistics”. Statistics holds bad memories for me – it was my “D” in college. The professor spoke “Greek”, and spoke a native foreign tongue – so understanding him was really difficult for me. The room was hot and the course was taking in the summer time.
Then, two days before class was to start I got an email from the student teacher with an assignment that was due before the class started. Are you kidding me!!! Ughhhhh So you know, I am really not excited about this class. Well by now I had some preconceived notions, expectations and annoyances about this class. So as I am just being annoyed with this intrusion into my life (lol), I hear in my spirit, “Change your Mind Set” 
Change My Mindset?… So, I stopped and thought about what I was thinking. I was thinking doom, inability to comprehend, hard subject matter, and just an awful class experience. And I was thinking all of this based on what?…. 20 years ago in another university, another teacher, shoot even another me. I wasn’t giving the class or me a chance. I was setting my own self up for failure.
How we think about things frames our experience with it. We color how we view the world based on our own thinking. I have the power to change how I perceive/receive things simply by how I think about them. Change how you see it, feel about it, or think it is going to be. Change your thoughts to be more favorable, exciting, enjoyable or to an easier experience and watch it live up to that expectation.
Changing the mindset is the difference between:
- failing vs learning opportunity
- nobody loves me vs he wasn’t the right guy for me
- God always tells me no vs God has great things in store for me
- I’ll never understand vs Okay God, open up my understanding
So, I made an active choice to think positively and with excitement about this course. I must say that thus far God has blessed me with understanding and enjoyment of the class. When I find myself getting ready to be annoyed because the chapter forewarns “a lot of excel activities” to follow; I quickly remind myself to “Change My Mindset”.
As a side benefit, those feeling of annoyance, anguish, stress and frustration associated with “seeing the glass half empty” have been replaced with excitement and joyful anticipation. No, you can’t think a rainy day into a sunny one, but you can approach it with a positive outlook. Release yourself to enjoy each day by seeing what it brings as an opportunity. A new chance to learn, grow, do, be, etc. Look for the best in every situation. Approach problems with optimism and faith. Look to God for help. Trust every day that God has great thoughts towards you and that he has a wonderful plan for your life. Realize that He is always working in your favor. Relax and enjoy this journey of life that we are on.
Change your mindset and watch how you feel and feel about life change for the positive.
**none of these images are mine. I found them all on google.