By: Jennifer Eckert on November 7, 2024
The contentious U.S. election has left me feeling battered and drained, much like the Oklahoma tornadoes that struck shortly before. Americans remain deeply divided in how the country should move forward, and many increasingly rely on social media headlines instead of fact-checking or thinking critically. Those who challenge misinformation are often publicly criticized or even…
By: Jana Dluehosh on November 7, 2024
Summary of my most deeply held convictions before the readings and why I have these beliefs. My first encounter with my whiteness occurred as a young teen when I was visiting my dad’s extended family in Michigan for a family reunion. I clearly remember sitting in a Pizza Hut as I heard my grandpa and…
By: Daren Jaime on November 7, 2024
It was one of my first denominational ministerial classes. We were nervous, uncertain, and in a healthy fear of what our ministerial journey will take us. The course was pastoral administration. A very well seasoned scholar and pastor was sharing with us what we should expect if we were ever assigned to a pastorate. As…
By: Chad Warren on November 7, 2024
With the arrival of winter and snow in our part of the Rocky Mountains, I am reminded of the widely used skiing metaphor “Over your skis.” This describes a skier who leans too far forward, making them unstable and more likely to lose control or fall. Figuratively, it means taking on more than you can…
By: Julie O'Hara on November 7, 2024
I follow a social media account called Visual Hustles, it was the source of the above image. If asked, I would describe it as cartoons which demonstrate the value of not giving up when faced with challenges. I thought of the account while reading Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck and I looked…
By: Christy on November 7, 2024
Hi, my name is Christy, and I have some fixed mindset triggers. Meet Koa, her name means “fear”. When I am in a high risk situation, Koa tells me that I can only trust myself and if I want something done right, I should just do it myself. Koa encourages me to avoid making hard…
By: Elysse Burns on November 7, 2024
Cooking is one of my favorite activities. There’s something deeply therapeutic about it, and nothing excites me more than discovering a new recipe, experimenting with ingredients, and adding a personal twist. But it wasn’t always this way. When I first began, cooking felt like a high-stakes test. I needed a foolproof recipe, something guaranteed to…
By: Kari on November 7, 2024
The past two weekends revolved around my colleague, Elysse, and my design workshops. We have different NPOs, but they are closely related. The workshops addressed, in different ways, the lack of collaboration between Mauritanian communities and non-profits, the government, and other leaders. All workshop participants said that the solution is a societal change of mentality.…
By: Graham English on November 7, 2024
Carol Dweck’s Mindset: The New Psychology of Success is a seminal work which explores the profound impact that adopting a mindset can have on someone’s development and personal growth in every facet of life. She writes that “It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you…
By: Debbie Owen on November 7, 2024
Jesus said, ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on…
By: Joel Zantingh on November 7, 2024
In his trusted work in reconciliation, mediation, and conflict resolution, Dr. Vern Neufeld-Redekop refers to an idea in his ‘third-party-neutral’ approach called “the adjacent possible”, an option for breakthrough that only comes when we allow divergent voices and ideas to be presented together, and give space for emergent possibilities to reveal themselves [1]. It takes…
By: Diane Tuttle on November 6, 2024
Since returning from Washington, my work life has been turned upside down. For different reasons, we had several people resign within weeks of one another. Add our need for added funding and it was a perfect storm, literally. The conversations have been difficult, hours long, and emotions on the edge. I am exhausted. Reading Mindset…
By: Shela Sullivan on November 6, 2024
Introduction This week’s reading assignment is based on “Mindset: Changing the Way you think to fulfil your potential” by Dr. Carol Dweck.[1] “Becoming is better than being.”[2] This quote highlights the importance of growth mindset, emphasizing the importance of the journey of learning and development over simply achieving a static state of success. Exploring the…
By: Jennifer Vernam on November 5, 2024
Colonialism and Slavery- What Do I Believe and Why? I believe that humans are predisposed to try to dominate each other in a misplaced attempt to have dominion over the earth. It is an extension of our miss-ordered loves- a belief that if in charge, we can do it better, and deserve to be at…
By: Pam Lau on November 5, 2024
What I Believe Through Story My understanding of slavery and colonialism has been shaped over the years through the lens of literature—both as a student of English literature and as a teacher of it. Writers like George Orwell,[1] Malcolm X,[2] Maya Angelou, Russell Baker, and Flannery O’Connor[3] illuminated the complex dynamics of colonialism, revealing the ways in which…
By: Scott Dickie on November 4, 2024
I found this to be a difficult assignment for a variety of reasons. First, it was difficult to determine how much depth and detail I should include concerning my beliefs about colonialism and slavery. Second, it was perhaps more difficult to articulate where those beliefs emerged from. Third, neither author, but particularly Black, had a…
By: Jeff Styer on November 4, 2024
Before I could even start reading Carol Dweck’s Mindset book, I simply mentioned the title to my wife.[1] She, an educator, replied that is the big buzz word in education, everyone knows that book, there are lesson plans and bulletin board, etc. all focused around Dweck’s mindset theory. This statement was verified by the bulletin…
By: Tim Clark on November 4, 2024
My most deeply held convictions about slavery were probably formed from a combination of my upbringing, my understanding of history, my grasp of the Bible, God’s heart for people, and my exposure to a global community. The brief one-sentence version of that conviction would go like this: “Slavery is always bad.” To unpack that a…
By: Kally Elliott on November 4, 2024
My most deeply held convictions before the readings were that both, colonialism and slavery were and are harmful, and frankly, evil systems that continue to cause immense suffering for those they oppress. I believe we need to take a hard look at our history, owning up to our collective and personal failings, and roll up…
By: Glyn Barrett on November 4, 2024
Carol S. Dweck is a psychologist and professor at Stanford University, best known for her research on mindsets, whose work explores how beliefs about intelligence impact motivation and success. Despite her success in an academic context, I am struck by her down-to-earth, easy-to-reach manner and application of the work contained within the book Mindset:…
