Why seek out the tried and true, instead of experiences that will stretch you?

I don’t mind losing as long as I see improvement or I feel I’ve done as well as I possibly could.

This point is . . . crucial,” writes Dweck. “In the fixed mindset, everything is about the outcome. If you fail — or if you’re not the best — it’s all been wasted. The growth mindset allows people to value what they’re doing regardless of the outcome.

It is not always people who start out the smartest who end up the smartest.

For twenty years, my research has shown that the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you value.

Did I win? Did I lose? Those are the wrong questions. The correct question is: Did I make my best effort?” If so, he says, “You may be outscored but you will never lose.

No matter what your current ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishment.