Why is a healthy mindset relevant?
"I wanted to shoot people because that's what I saw growing up."
I read this quote in the USA Today given by young man from Camden, New Jersey - a city known for its high crime rate. The relevancy of a healthy mindset is directly pointed at such a statement as this because, in many instances, it is a reflection of the mentality of the people who are influenced by their social environment.
I am not saying that every person wants to shoot another person because of the environment they live in, but the effect of a person's environment is crucial to their develpoment. This effect is not limited to impoverished communities, however the affect that it has in such environments is disheartening.
In my book Mindset: Awareness and Action, I mentioned "the deprivation of hope is not only in the communities, schools, and families; but also in the eyes of the people." When there is no hope in the eyes of the people, how are we to expect hope for the future. This is why I spend my time (and encourage people to help in) preaching the message of developing a healthy mindset.
When children from Camden haven't even been across the bridge to Philly, how are we to expect them to have a broad and healthy outlook on the world? When our youth's heroes are gang members, how are we to decrease the crime rate in violence-ridden communities?
A healthy mindset is relevant because I do not want anybody shooting me because that is what they saw growing up.
God Bless
Perception is a powerful thing, it really boils down Plato's Allegory of the Cave. I didn't realize what I was capable achieving until-as a result of me acting up in school, trying to be what I thought was cool- my father took me on a business trip to New Orleans. It was there I shadowed some young ladies at Xavier University of Louisiana & it literally changed my life. They both grew up in the same areas I did, yet they were completely different then what I thought I was supposed to become. Those 2 positive role models I had were enough for me to change my act in a positive way because I saw myself in them. I saw what I could become if I made the same decisions they made. But that's only part of the solution, access to resources and community & family support are just as important.
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