The Power of "Yet"

I suspect we all remember the children’s rhyme “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” We were taught to use this phrase as a pithy comeback to bullies and name callers. Did it work to keep the ruffians at bay? Sometimes, I suppose. But more often than not, the words I was called as a kid stuck with me for some time. 

Here’s the truth…words have power. Real power. For me, one word in particular really drives this point home. Yet. I believe the word “yet” is one of the single most powerful words in the English language. (Can I say power/powerful one more time? 🙂 )

Ok, bear with me for a minute. We’re going to do a little history lesson. Back in 2006, a woman by the name of Dr. Carol Dweck articulated the idea of a fixed mindset vs. a growth mindset. A fixed mindset believes our abilities are innate and that talent and intelligence can’t be developed further. A growth mindset believes talent and intelligence can be developed and nurtured.

So…where does the word “yet” come into play? It’s the key to unlocking the growth mindset. It opens up a world of possibility and willingness to embark on a journey of discovery. Consider:

•  I can’t do that vs. I can’t do that…yet.

•  I don’t understand this vs. I don’t understand this…yet.

• I don’t have the skills vs. I don’t have the skills…yet.

We ALL have the capacity to be stewards of something profound. But this means thinking differently as well. We need to be willing to expose ourselves to new ideas, new opportunities, and new challenges as we continue our human journey. This can be both scary and exciting at the same time (I recently read a book that, in no uncertain terms, exposed how little I knew about something I thought I knew more about. It was both humbling and invigorating.).

I encourage all of us to keep a bag full of “yets” in our back pocket to pull out when we run across moments that seem overwhelming, infuriating, incomprehensible, or impossible. It can make all the difference in the world.

For fun, here’s a simple chart that sums up the difference between a fixed mindset and growth mindset. 

Until next week.

Cheers,

Andy

(All written content created the old-fashioned way.)