So Tiny: Never Lose Perspective in Life

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Mistaya and I running in the Pacific Ocean.

Perception: You are not set. You are evolving.

The human mind is never set. You are nothing less or more than a work in progress. Perspective is everything. Recent research by Carol Dweck (author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success & Mindset, 2007 & Mindset: How You Can Fulfil Your Potential, 2012) points to the benefits of believing that you are not a master of anything. If one believes that one is gifted with intelligence and presents oneself as someone of superior intelligence, that individual will tend to seek out opportunities that reinforce this belief, opting for easy tasks that they will excel at rather than more difficult tasks that will challenge them. However, those who believe intelligence is something to be learned, practiced and developed will attempt the challenge with little fear of failure.

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Tabitha collecting shells.

Liberate Your Mind

To believe your life is a work in progress is perhaps the most liberating mindset. I meet people who appear to be resigned to the delusional idea that they are a set personality with set talents and faults.They box themselves up to present themselves as a completed package. These are the dullest of individuals. If one chooses to present oneself as a finished package to the world, the person is dull because she/he will resist anything that may lead to failure, they resist all challenges in life. Sadly, the box will prevent the individual from ever reaching her/his potentials.

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Peter, Pippi and I.

You Are More Than You Can Imagine

The truth about life is that nothing is set. Everything is in a state of evolution. The big picture is always bigger than we imagine. What ever appears finished and set, will inevitably change on close inspection.

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Mistaya and Tabitha

Regular Failure Is Success

It is important to encourage children in a manner that frees them of any boxes—encouragement that tells them: you’re on the right track, keep exploring and learning; your potential will only keep growing all of your life. It seems then that experiencing failure regularly is a clue that you’re on the right track.

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Mistaya, Peter and Pippi.

My daughter Pippi  (age 8) recently told me a story a few mornings ago while I ate my breakfast. The story was short and simple yet it held deep philosophical ideas about perspective and how one’s mindset creates one’s reality. It illuminated how important it is for one to challenge one’s beliefs. I asked her where she read the story. She told me she just wrote it in her mind. I asked her to write it down for me. I leave you with her story So Tiny:

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Pippi, so tiny once (age 2).

So Tiny

On Christmas Eve a boy went to check his present. The present was so tiny that the boy felt angry; so angry that he got in his rocket ship and searched the universe for the biggest present. He got far away from home. The Earth was so small and so tiny. He missed the Earth very much so he headed back home. Once he got back to the earth, he thought to himself, how could I want something so tiny?

Pippi (age 8), 2014.


*Photos were taken on a favourite day with my family on Vancouver Island in 2008

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