growth

The Bravery to Be a Beginner

The Bravery to Be a Beginner

For my fall semester of school, I decided to challenge myself by taking a new language class. As I walked in, excitement soon turned into anxiety. I was the only person with no prior experience in the language, and it felt as if everyone else had already mastered the basics. I stumbled through simple phrases, unsure of myself, while others seemed far more confident. It was hard. There is a part of me that wants to hide or give up, but I am realizing something powerful in the process: there is bravery in being a beginner. It requires strength to admit that I don’t know something and even more courage to embrace the learning process.

Pushing past the mist- Lessons about Growth Mindset from Haleakala

Pushing past the mist- Lessons about Growth Mindset from Haleakala

As I recently visited Haleakala National Park in Maui, I was reminded of some valuable lessons about having a growth mindset while ascending to the top of that 10,023 ft volcano. Haleakala means “House of the Sun” in Hawaiian. Legend has it that the demi-God, Maui, lassoed the sun from its path across the sky as he stood atop the volcano. Now the sun sleeps in the crater each night and creates world-famous sunrises and sunsets. The 37-mile road up to the summit is known to be the highest elevation gain within the shortest distance in the world. Due to the steep elevation gain and the ability to move quickly in a vehicle, the transitions in weather and ecology as one travels up the mountain are stark– traveling through areas of expansive vegetation, thick mist, and eventually the mostly barren volcanic terrain with a birdseye view of the mountain’s “lei” of clouds. As I recently visited Haleakala’s summit, I was reminded of some valuable lessons about having a growth mindset while ascending to the top of that 10,023 ft volcano.