H.E.A.R.T. Learning Challenges

Just like the growth mindset, I think the H.E.A.R.T. learning challenges are just as important.

While I was reading through all the pieces of H.E.A.R.T., I could see different aspects of each that I either have heard before, have done in my life, or that I have told myself that I should do.  I think that is what is so great about this type of information- you can always continue learning from it and applying it to your life.

Since I am a college student, you would think that I would chose the "T" for time management as the one that interests me the most. However, as I was looking through the letters, another one actually stood out more to me. Out of the choices, the one that is of my interest to me, in this moment of my life, is "A" for attention.  I feel odd deciding on that one, but when I read it I thought to myself, "Hmm, these challenges are definitely ones I could do to improve my relationships, my overall grasp of what is going on around me, and teaching myself to better focus on the task at hand". I think "attention" can be used for multiple aspects of my life such as with school, work, my relationships, family, etc. Being a college student, life can get very busy and sometimes it's hard to focus on one thing and actually pay attention to what's going on around me. I think if I try to apply some of the ideas that were given to my life, I think they could definitely benefit me in multiple ways at this time in my life. 

Out of the H.E.A.R.T. choices. the one that I feel that I have actually already been working on would be "H" for happiness.  I say this not because I was "unhappy" before, but I have learned since coming to college that I need to make decisions about my relationships, things that I am involved in, my career choice, and so many other things that make me happy overall. Starting a year ago, I started getting more and more involved on campus with different clubs, plus I was willing to get out of my comfort zone to try new things. In addition, last summer I decided to change my major to Human Relations, which was a complete 180 from where I started when I first came to OU. Throughout all these changes and new experiences, I have tried to keep a positive attitude and know I'm not defined by my grades or how people view me or my major and I think that has helped tremendously with my happiness (and even my health), which I think is something everyone (especially new college freshman) needs to hear.

All in all, I think all the aspects of H.E.A.R.T. are important to work on and continue to learn about. However, I do think at different times in our lives, we focus on one aspect more than another because of the specific season, time, or challenges we may be facing at that moment and I think that is perfectly okay.  

I love how this quote can be applied to any area of life. I believe our circumstances do not determine our happiness. Source: photo by BK on Flicker.