A growth mindset is the belief that one's skills, qualities, and abilities can be nurtured and enhanced through hard work and learning. Adopting this mindset makes you more open to challenges, embracing the unfamiliar or uncomfortable and willing to experience failure.
However, adopting this growth mindset means we must challenge our limiting self-beliefs that reinforce our fixed mindset. Limiting beliefs is the negative thoughts that hold us back, hindering our journey of self-improvement.
RECOGNISE YOUR FIXED MINDSET. Start to be aware of how your fixed mindset, became your everyday internal dialogue. Fear of failure, procrastination, always being in your comfort zone or being a constant quitter could be why this mindset has been reinforced in your mind.
That being said, you need to start being conscious of what you’re saying to yourself daily. If you struggle with that, try speaking to yourself out loud, as it helps to be more aware of what you’re saying.
REMOVE ANYTHING THAT DOESN’T ALIGN, i’m specifally talking about social media. There are so many self degarding or depreciating content(which are always disgusied as a ‘joke’) and the more you consume it, the more you believe it.
However this can apply to your physical environment as well, such as people, sentimental objects or your actual space.
START TO REDEFINE FAILURE. There are so many ways you can define failure, but my favourite has to be failure is the sacrifice for success. Of course, you can research other ways to redefine it that resonates with you.
However, allow yourself to grieve failures, especially if they had a huge impact on your life. The only way you can apply the lessons from failure in life is to process them.
DO SOMETHING CHALLENGING EACH DAY. Whether it is giving yourself an extra 20 minutes at the gym, or trying to advance yourself in your studies, just do something that pushes you and hopefully, makes you struggle.
Once we allow ourselves to struggle and be challenged, we start to develop the belief that being challenged is okay, not doing it perfect on the first try is okay we can still do tasks without them being perfect + you’re also embracing failure.
APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORT. Something is always better than nothing, not everything that we do has to be perfect to consider ourselves accomplished. Once we acknowledge the value of hard work and see how it impacts our day-to-day life, it enforces the belief that we can expand our skills even just by a little.
The perfect way to appreciate your effort is by celebrating or rewarding yourself. Allow yourself extra screen time, to sleep in, or do any of your favourite ‘unproductive’ activities.
SEEK OUT NEW KNOWLEDGE. Not just reading an article and calling it a day, but actively researching something memorable. This doesn’t have to be a scholarly topic, it could be anything. When we start to desire to learn, which is practically the main thing about a growth mindset, it enforces those beliefs.
BUILD RESILENCE. You’re going to fail, struggle, lose and maybe suffer. While it is important to grieve what happens, you should be able to bounce back after some time. Building this skill is so important in the growth mindset, as it helps you to take control of your emotions and not the other way around.
This applies to constructive criticism as well. People will not always give you praise, but that doesn’t matter, what matters is your ability to act on that criticism. An outside perspective always helps to improve yourself and your abilities.
Over the course of the Holocaust, 6 million Jews, 2/3rds of the Jews in Europe, were systematically killed by Nazis. The goal of the Holocaust was specifically to eradicate the Jewish people.
During the Holocaust, other "undesirables" were also targeted. The Romani (25-50% of their population killed,) the disabled, queer people (who were sent from the concentration camps to prison when the camps were liberated because they were seen as criminals), Jehovah's Witnesses (were one of the very few religious groups to uniformly reject Nazi sovereignty and paid for it), Slavs, and political prisoners also were targeted.
We must not forget.
We must not forget that the Nazi party was legally elected.
We must not forget Hitler was legally appointed.
We must not forget Hitler and his party were elected because they promised to restore order, economic stability, to make a Germany that was flailing with emergencies great again through national pride that had a very narrow definition of what it meant to be German, not because they outright said they wanted to exterminate people. They just made it the cost of doing business, and made it clear some people were better than others.
We must not forget that even though the Nazi party was popular with a minority of Germans, the way their government worked combined with pressure from industry and business leaders with connection to the government gave them power anyway.
We must not forget that the majority of Germans just kept their heads down and let all this occur, desensitized step by step, because who wants to upset everyone discussing politics? With all the inflation, economic instability, poverty and violence of the Weimar era, I got enough problems, man.
History doesn't repeat, but it rhymes. Antisemitism and the scapegoating of minorities is rising. People world wide being comfortable with far right tactics and rhetoric to "keep the peace" are on the rise. Paths aren't set, ever improving conditions are not guaranteed; they have to be created.
“We/Us is an intergenerational photography and oral history project that celebrates the undocumented presence of Butches and Studs from working-class backgrounds within the British landscape.” - by Roman Manfredi, 2023
Fat trans boys are important.
Trans boys with wide hips are important.
Short trans boys are important.
Trans boys who have no muscles are important.
Trans boys without body hair are important.
Trans boys with round faces, small frames, tiny hands and feet?
All are important. All are men. All are trans enough, even if some “don’t pass” or “look too feminine”.
There’s not enough accepting, body positive posts going around made strictly for trans men. That needs to change.
We’re made to be different. We’re made to be unique. No two snowflakes are the same.
Your unique experience is apart of your purpose.
Your unique lessons are apart of your destiny.
The world needs what you have to offer.
Will some people judge you? Yes.
Will you trigger some people? Yes.
But that’s going to happen anyway.
Think about your favorite experience with a business, a coach, a teacher, a therapist… what if that person never went into business because they were scared of what other people thought?
You would have never worked with them or bought from them. They wouldn’t have had the impact on your life that they have today.
What if you’re depriving someone of an amazing experience with you?
You’re meant to change lives. We all are.
But if you’re too scared to start, too scared to open yourself up to connection, love, intimacy, vulnerability, too scared what other people think…
You could be depriving someone of the blessing that is YOU.
I wish I knew about men like these growing up, I wish I knew that trans men could be successful after a lifetime of never seeing anyone ‘like me’ excelling in life. So here are some trans men - some that you may have heard of, some that you may not - that are successful in a range of careers. Never let being trans hold you back, never think you can’t do something, never think there is not a place for you.
Ben Barres
American neurobiologist for Stanford University and advocate for women in science. Barre’s research on the interactions between glial cells and neurons changed the way that we understand the brain and opened up a whole new field of research.
Stephen Whittle
Professor of equalities law. Founder of FTM Network in 1989 and Press for Change in 1992. Whittle has been heavily involved in trans activism since joining the Self Help Association for Transsexuals in 1979. His research and activism has been instrumental in ensuring the rights of trans people in the UK.
Michael D Cohen
Actor, teacher and coach. Making his break in award-winning Nickelodeon sitcoms Henry Danger and Danger Force he was the first series regular actor to publicly come out as transgender. Cohen has a BSc in cell biology and a masters degree in adult education, teaching at his own acting studio and providing workshops.
Chris Mosier
American triathlete and award-winning coach. Six time member of Team USA in both duathlon and triathlon, Mosier also won two national championships in racewalking and was the first transgender athlete to qualify for the Olympic trials to compete against other members of his gender.
Yance Ford
African-American film producer and director. Ford received an Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking and was nominated for an Oscar for his part in producing and directing the documentary Strong Island which follows the death of his brother.
Kael McKenzie
Canadian judge. Serving in the Canadian Armed Forces for several years, McKenzie later attended law school and and worked as a lawyer before being appointed as a judge to the Provincial Court of Manitoba in 2015.
Shane Ortega
Native American former flight engineer in the US army, former marine and professional bodybuilder. Throughout his career Ortega has served in Iraq and Afghanistan in over 400 combat missions. He has a long history of advocating for the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and the recent banning on transgender service members in the US army.
Drago Renteria
Chicano photojournalist and deaf and LGBT activist. Renteria founded the Deaf Queer Resource and is CEO of DeafVision - a webhosting and development company run by deaf people and the founder of the National Deaf LGBTQ Archives. Renteria has been instrumental in both creating and hosting many online deaf/queer spaces online along with being heavily involved in real-world activism for decades.
Phillipe Cunningham
Elected city councillor for ward 4 Minneapolis and previous special education teacher, Cunningham holds a masters degrees in Organizational Leadership & Civic Engagement and in Police Administration and is passionate about tacking inequalities in his community.
I'm feeling kinda shitty today (half is dysphoria, half internalized homophobia) so I just wanna say this if anyone else needs it.
If you're trans and gay (mlm), you're enough of a guy as it is.
If you're trans and gay (mlm), you don't need the validation from cis queer men (especially gay ones) to "prove" that you're an actual guy, you already are one.
If you're trans and gay (mlm), you're not predatory towards cis gay guys solely for the fact that you're trans.
If you're trans and gay (mlm), your stuggles with internalized homophobia are just as valid than any other queer guy.
If you're trans and gay (mlm), you have the right to enjoy media (tv shows, books, comics) about queer men without feeling guilty/feeling like you're being predatory, you're a queer guy and you deserve to feel represented.
If you're trans and gay (mlm), you're gay guy, not a straight girl, don't let anyone say otherwise.
make it pretty. buy colorful pens to write, download cute templates for a journal, make a vision board.
surrounded yourself with favorite scents. whether that be a candle, perfume, essential oil, body wash, etc.
wear something pretty every day. no matter if it's a necklace, headband or whole outfit.
redecorate for your mood. put plants and cute décor around work, your car, your home. use lights that remind you of the sunset or the twinkling night sky.
appreciate the little things. the smell of coffee in the morning, the sound of the rain hitting the ground, the warmth of the sun on your face.
take pictures of every beauty you can find no matter how small.
turn up the music when you have to get chores done and dance your way through them
Crystals that have been smoothed or polished from their raw form are usually classified as tumbled stones. They have not been carved into any specific form, but are not jagged to the touch. These crystals are usually more affordable and are good for basic crystal use, including grids, meditation, affirmations, altar work, feng shui or more.
ABUNDANCE
Crystals in an Abundance formation are made up of an elongated quartz crystal with smaller crystals clustered around its base. This is a great stone to attract abundance to your life (hence its name) and is great for acting as a conduit to your wealth and business stones.
NATURAL POINT
Natural points are not necessarily long crystals in a wand-like formation. They are any part of a faceted crystal with a point that has formed naturally, and has not been carved to perfection. These types of stones must be used with caution as the point draws energy to the body (when pointed toward a person) or it draws energy away from the body (when pointed away from the body). These properties make it a great tool for cleansing and healing work.
PHANTOM
The Phantom formation is slightly difficult to find. These crystals have a hazy image within them, although most of the crystal is particularly transclucent. This phantom of ghost within the crystal is said to carry a vast array of information for the past, making it a powerful tool for past-like work and healing. Depending on the crystal that the phantom is found within, additional properties will apply. However, any Phantom formation will be a powerful stone to shake out your skeletons and pave a healthy path for growth.
GENERATOR
A Generator will have six facets (of equal or unequal proportions) that meet into one point. It gets its name for its ability to generate amplified energy, boosting the power of other stones, or the stone it is made of. This type of formation is also very powerful for charging other stones.
GEODE
These stones are elusive because they appear ordinary from the outside. However, when they are opened or broken they reveal a hollow cave with crystals sparkling within. Because of their contained form, geodes have the ability to hold energy within and soften it, allowing it to naturally flow out and disperse evenly. These formations are great for protection or for assisting with healing abusive habits such as alcoholism, drug abuse, sex addiction, shopping addiction, and abusive internal monologues.
RAW
Raw stones are in their natural form and have not been smoothed, polished or altered. Though they are more fragile and can break more easily than other formations, many prefer the look of these stones as they would appear raw in their natural habitat. Like tumbled stones, raw stones are great for all spiritual work and are often quite affordable.
PYRAMID
Pyramids are stones that have been shaped into a point with four equal faceted sides and a square base. These formations are great for warding off negative vibrations or removing blocks within the chakra system. This shape is also a great choice to use in affirmation and manifestation work. The properties of the crystal are amplified in this formation. It is a good choice for healers.
SPHERE
The circle emits energy evenly from all angles, and the Sphere formation is no different. These are powerful formations and are often used in scrying as a tool to peer into the past and future. Because the shape is even from every possible angle, it is believed that light, energy and time pass through it with no rules or hindrances, hence their scrying abilities. They often have flaws or occlusions within them which help with the scrying process, though they can be quite expensive depending on their size.
SQUARE
This formation works well with grounding energies and intentions since its energy is contained and enhanced evenly within the stone. It acts as a foundation to meditation practices and has the ability to transmute negative energy into positive energy. They’re stacking ability makes them great tools for mindfulness and concentration, especially if you’re doing detailed work.
