Diane Guo

Your mindset can be your greatest ally or your worst adversary. It’s up to you to decide. 

The way you talk and think about yourself matters. The human mind is the most fascinating and powerful force in this universe, but it’s also the most credulous. It believes whatever you tell it. If you tell yourself you’re not smart enough or you’re incapable, it will believe you. It’s time to change your internal narrative and replace self-doubt and negativity with positive words of power. Our self-talk is intertwined with our mindset. 

“A growth mindset is believing that your abilities and qualities can change with effort,” said Alissa Mrazek, psychology research assistant professor. “The opposite is a fixed mindset where you believe that your abilities and qualities are set in stone — they won’t change no matter what kind of effort you put forth. … Any fixed mindset can be changed.”

If you believe that your intelligence and abilities are fixed, it can be difficult to push yourself to change. This lack of motivation gets in the way of achieving your true potential. 

“Whenever you hear someone saying (things) like ‘I’m not a math person,’ that is them showing their fixed mindset,” Mrazek said. “But if you really believe you’re not a math person, then you’re probably not going to try very hard in your math class, right?”

As a younger student, I compared myself to my peers and thought of myself as inadequate in my studies. I convinced myself that I wasn’t capable enough to achieve academic success. This internal dialogue came with a sense of resignation. 

This all changed when my Spanish teacher encouraged me to put in the effort and think positively about my capabilities. With her support, I began to see the high nineties and hundreds next to my name — an exciting occurrence. Upon realizing I could succeed in my academics, I discovered a motivation to maintain high grades and meet my teacher’s expectations. 

I started telling myself I was capable, which inspired me to put effort into my other courses. All it took for me to believe in myself was for someone else to believe in me first. I was able to become a successful and high-achieving high school and college student. A change in self-talk and mindset made all the difference. 

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received is to treat yourself as you would treat a loved one. If you wouldn’t think or talk in such a negative way about someone you love, why do that to yourself?

Biology junior Victoria Beltran explained the importance of positive self-talk in her life.

“For me, a big thing is always being positive with myself because if I’m really hard on myself one day, then it really affects my mood for the upcoming days,” said Beltran. “Having that positive mindset just helps me to push through and finish whatever I have to do. … Just make sure to remind yourself that it’s okay to have bad days. That’s what makes you a better person.”

It’s all in your mind and inner voice. Stop tearing yourself down when things don’t go your way and start molding your self-talk and mindset to your advantage — let it fuel your confidence and help you reach your full potential.

Mendoza is a philosophy junior from El Paso, Texas.