Why a positive mindset makes all the difference …

"... I used to think I must go 
to a bigger place
for life to expand 
so I moved to a city 
far from home 

only then did I realise
that horizons grow 
from within not without ..."

I’m holed up in my camper van in the Pingvellir National Park in Iceland as I write this.  It’s been raining incessantly for what feels like days, and we’re waiting for it to pass.  It reminds me of my childhood: stuck indoors due to rainy days, which happened a lot in Lancashire.  There were board games of course, or drawing and colouring.  But my favourite pastime was reading and I seriously devoured books.  I recall reading the Heidi classics by Johanna Spyri, thinking to myself how amazing it must be to walk barefoot on meadows high up in the alps, rather than spend your childhood confined to wellies that always rubbed the backs of your legs!  I had a vivid imagination as a child, which I must say, has served me well in life. 

This week’s poem is another written during this trip.  This tiny church was easy to miss, partly due to its size, but also its low profile, well camouflaged by the surrounding landscape.  The church accommodated a congregation of just thirty; I expect that there wasn’t much privacy to be had in that community.  It would most certainly be noted if you were absent for Sunday Service, and I expect everyone would know your business.  I can’t think of anything worse. 

It got me thinking about how much opportunities have increased, particularly for women, over the last few centuries.  I could picture the likes of Jane Eyre, sat in Grafarkirkja on a Sunday morning, wondering about her fate as a woman with limited options.  What would the likes of the English women’s rugby team make of it all, given the rich opportunities they’ve enjoyed in this modern age?  I admit to filling up with emotion when I heard that they had won the World Cup.  I’m always inspired when women achieve great things despite the obstacles they may have encountered.  Hard to believe that, in my lifetime, women were still denied entry to some sports and sport institutions.  We’ve come a long way. 

And yet, in other parts of the world, women and girls are still denied the right to work or go to school.  In some ways, I worry that the human race is going backwards.  It isn’t lost on me that I’m extremely privileged to be taking this extended trip to a country and culture that has truly widened my horizons.  

During my time in Iceland, I’ve been blown away by the sheer scale of the country, its landscape and its history.  It’s tempting to think in a place of such enormity, that opportunities will abound for  people here.  But of course, it’s never that simple is it?  There are so many variables at play in how each of us view the world, our own situation and the choices we make.  People have often said to me that I’ve been lucky; whilst I accept that to some degree, I also think that you have to make your own luck.  Hard work and resilience are both important factors in maximising any opportunities you may have; that’s certainly been my experience.  I read a fascinating book a couple of years ago by Dr Carol Dweck, Changing the Way You Think To Fulfil Your Potential, which demonstrated brilliantly just how much impact a positive/growth mindset can have on people. To use an analogy, it’s a bit like switching a light on: you suddenly see the options that may have eluded you.

The biggest lesson for me has been realising that the key factor in how my life turns out is my attitude.  It’s not about living in a beautiful place, going on amazing holidays, or having lots of money. It’s about being grateful for what I have: the people in my life, and the time I have to do the things that bring me joy.  Even if that means writing whilst being holed up in a rather damp camper van, waiting for a break in the weather.