The Seeds We Choose to Water

never used to believe that people could change.

Not really.

I thought we were born with a certain level of talent, intelligence, or luck—and that was that. Some people were just naturally good at math. Others had charisma that made them shine in interviews. And then there were the rest of us. Average. Maybe even less than that.

For the longest time, I wore that belief like a second skin. It wrapped around me quietly, shaping the decisions I made, the risks I didn’t take, and the opportunities I watched drift by like clouds I couldn’t quite reach.

But something happened a few years ago that cracked that belief wide open—and from that crack, something new began to grow.

Chapter 1: The Wall

I was working a job I didn’t love but told myself I needed. It paid the bills, it was stable, and it didn’t ask too much of me. That last part, I had convinced myself, was a good thing.

Then one day, during a routine team meeting, my manager announced there would be an opening for a lead position. It was exactly the kind of role that could change things for me—better pay, more responsibility, and a chance to do meaningful work.

And yet, I didn’t apply.

“I’m not leadership material,” I said when a colleague encouraged me to go for it.

“Why not?” she asked, genuinely puzzled.

I didn’t have a good answer. All I could offer was a shrug and that old familiar phrase: I’m just not that kind of person.

But that night, her question stayed with me. It nagged at the edges of my thoughts. Why not?

Was I really not “that kind of person,” or had I just decided I wasn’t?

Chapter 2: A New Seed

A week later, I stumbled across a TED Talk by Dr. Carol Dweck on the idea of the growth mindset—the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed with effort, learning, and persistence. It was a phrase I’d heard before, but something about the way she described it struck a chord.

She told the story of students who, instead of saying “I’m not good at this,” began saying, “I’m not good at this yet.” That tiny word—yet—carried the weight of possibility.

It was the first time I truly considered that maybe I hadn’t reached my potential… because I’d never actually believed I had any.

That night, I wrote a sticky note and stuck it to my bathroom mirror.

It said: “I can grow.”

Chapter 3: The Practice of Becoming

The next few months were messy. Growth isn’t a straight line—it’s a winding, unpredictable road.

I began challenging the voice in my head that whispered, You’re not good enough.

When I made mistakes, I tried to learn from them instead of letting them confirm my worst fears.

I read books on leadership. I took on small projects at work that scared me just a little. I even signed up for a public speaking workshop, even though my hands trembled every time I took the mic.

It wasn’t glamorous, and I didn’t wake up one day magically transformed. But I noticed something important: The more I tried, the more capable I became. My comfort zone didn’t vanish—it just got wider.

I was starting to realize that confidence didn’t come before action. It came after. And it was earned, one small brave step at a time.

Chapter 4: When the Flower Blooms

Six months later, another leadership role opened up.

This time, I applied.

I didn’t get it.

At first, the old voice tried to return: See? You’re not good enough.

But I had learned something powerful—I could choose a different response.

Instead of seeing it as proof of failure, I saw it as part of the process. I asked for feedback. I kept learning. I kept showing up.

Three months after that, another opportunity came.

And this time, I got it.

Standing in front of my new team on the first day, I felt nervous, yes—but also ready.

Not because I was suddenly perfect or magically qualified, but because I had built myself into someone who believed they could grow.

Chapter 5: The Garden We Tend

Today, I mentor new hires who remind me so much of myself—not because of their job title or experience, but because I see in them the same doubts I used to carry.

I tell them the truth: You’re not stuck with the skills or confidence you have today.

You can develop them. Day by day. Try by try. Mistake by mistake.

I share what I’ve learned: that a growth mindset isn’t just a tool for career success—it’s a way to live. It’s how we keep evolving, no matter our age or past or circumstances.

And more than that, it’s how we give ourselves the grace to be both a work in progress and a masterpiece in motion.

Moral:

The story you believe about yourself shapes the life you live. Choose one that leaves room for growth.

Every seed of potential needs belief, effort, and patience to grow.

Start small. Stay curious. And remember: you may not be there yet—but you’re on your way.