By Kendra Prospero
“It’s a cold, dark night on the side of Everest.”
Mindset is defined as the established set of attitudes you hold and the boundaries you put around the thoughts that frame them. That means that whatever situation you face, your mindset will control everything around it.
For example, if you believe that people are untrustworthy, you will find plenty of dishonest people around you. If you believe your job would be great if it weren’t for your employees, you will find many issues with them. If you believe that everyone has a gift to give to this world, you will find those gifts and discover joy in your team.
Your mindset confirms your experiences—and you have control over it.
I recently listened to an amazing podcast that helped me digest this idea’s importance. The interviewee was describing the time when she was working towards her Ph.D. and struggling with a dissertation topic. One day, a friend observed her struggling and simply said: “It’s a cold dark night on the side of Everest.” At the moment, she thought that was such a strange thing to say. But, a few days later she realized what he meant.
Things that matter take time. Things that matter take effort.
If you didn’t care about the outcome, you wouldn’t feel the stress— just like if you were climbing Mount Everest, you would expect that there will be cold, dark nights along your path. And If you expect that (instead of complaining about it) you would marvel at the opportunity you have in front of you to take on such an amazing feat— like writing a dissertation, climbing a mountain, or even leading a team of people.
I find that that is the case with running a business. It is full of challenges, but what did you expect? It’s supposed to be hard. Having employees can be very challenging, but what did you expect? You didn’t hire robots! Of course, there will be challenges because that is human nature. There will be days when you have setbacks. Are you going to let the stress guide you positively or negatively? I don’t know many people—or actually, any—who thrive on anger, apathy, or other negative emotions. Intrinsically, we don’t want to feel this way. In fact, most of us do everything we can to avoid those feelings. So, our mindset is the thing that really makes it or breaks it.
I spent time digging in and learning about my mindset over a year ago, and it’s been such a gift to me. I see opportunity everywhere now. As I mentioned in my last Kendra’s Corner, I witnessed myself changing in positive ways and on many levels of my life.
The results have been wild. And they’re tangible, too.
Before I experienced this shift in my mindset, I simply didn’t believe that 100% growth was possible. WRONG! I’m happy to tell you that our company has already hit last year’s revenue!
I didn’t believe that it could be possible for a 14-person company in Colorado to be diverse. WRONG!! We now have one of the most diverse teams I could have ever imagined for a team our size.
I didn’t believe that I would find value in a business partner. WRONG! Many of you have seen Kevin in our conversations, and he is now on track to be a 48% owner of Turning the Corner.
And all these incredible things came about because of one thing: shifting my mindset.
By now, you’re catching on that I’m passionate about this idea. So, if you’re struggling with something and don’t know how to get around it, look at your mindset. Or, call me, and we can look at it together.