Nothing has meaning except the meaning you give it - Believe you can succeed and you will

The importance of mindset when learning something NEW

I found myself somewhat triggered yesterday when offering a comment for a website and it was declined. My comment was rejected due to not understanding the topic properly. The subject was advanced level mathematics. I had always considered myself to be very good at maths, better than most of my peers and I also have a degree in Biosciences. My ego was triggered therefore at being told I didn't comprehend the subject matter of the blog.

Today I was reflecting on this and I realised that it was an opportunity for me to increase my self esteem by changing my mindset. When I was told that I didn't understand the maths equation yesterday I made it mean that I was of inferior intelligence to someone else and this made me feel stupid. When comparing this to my life experience I however I realised that this was simply not true.
Sure yes I can admit that yesterday I didn't understand what I was reading when I came across that blog about advanced level mathematics. However this was not due to inferior intelligence but lack of EXPERIENCE with the subject. There are many things in life that I don't know about, not because I am stupid but because I haven't LEARNED them yet.

Everything in life is a different language for you to learn

When I started my science degree for example biology was a subject that I knew NOTHING about. I also returned to school quite late in life, in my mid 30's. I couldn't imagine myself ever reaching a stage where I didn't feel overwhelmed and confused by the language of science.
Despite this I kept putting one foot in front of the other. Every day I would show up to lectures and lab classes. Pretty soon I found myself fascinated by a whole new world that opened up to me. The intricate workings of a nerve cell or DNA synthesis. I had previously had no idea that there were so many complicated processes that went on inside my body. Not to mention the fact that you could keep going smaller and smaller understanding the intricate workings of every single cell, all with different processes and functions, all unique.

A new world that opened up in the most unexpected of ways

What was even more fascinating to me was that this understanding of science intensified my love of God and all things spiritual. Previously I had seen these two topics as very different from each other, science versus God. My love of God and passion for the learning about the world of the spiritual was directly proportional to my new found understanding of biology.
I suddenly felt like a God, with a whole universe of cells inside of me, each with their own function and place. In understanding this I comprehended that it was the same with all of us too. We too were all cells in the body of God, each with his or her own function, place and a purpose. A body that requires all of its systems to be functioning correctly to survive. Or an orchestra of music that would not sound so good if it were missing one of its musicians.

We are all so much more connected to each other than we understand but we cannot see this because we cannot see the bigger picture that we are a part of. If we could be the biologist and study the whole then we could take a birds eye view.

However from our individual vantage points our understanding of each other is much more easily compared to that of the individual cell. The cell that is not able to understand that it is part of a greater whole. What is the cells understanding? Does it know for example that it is part of making up part of an organs tissue? Much less that it is a smaller part of the being that calls herself "Jacqueline"?

The thriving ecosystem that is Wealthy Affiliate

So how does all of this relate to starting an online business? It is something NEW. Like all things that are new it is a new language that takes time and practice to learn. Just because you don't understand something NOW doesn't mean that you are stupid or that you CAN'T. There are lots of things that you could learn if you put in the time and effort that it takes to practice.
No I don't understand advanced level mathematics right now, but that doesn't mean that I CAN'T. I COULD if I put in the time and effort required to learn. I believe that I am intelligent enough to try. Am I going to? No, because I don't need or want to. I don't have the proper MOTIVATION to do that.
There are many people here on Wealthy Affiliate with a range of different knowledge and skills. Each of us can bring something unique to the table and we can all utilise each other's skills to get ahead. It is kind of like the thriving ecosystem of your body where there are many people all playing different parts. I don't know about you but personally I think that is something that is pretty special and meaningful to be a part of!

Looking to the future and what lies ahead

What am I currently learning then? I am learning about affiliate marketing so that I can generate passive income. Why do I need to generate passive income? As in less than a month I will be moving with my husband to a region of Spain where no one speaks English! Spain is his country of origin and where he was brought up.
Not knowing the language, as well as being illegal, I will not be able to work a regular job until I can gain my residency in Spain and learn some Spanish. I know nothing about learning a language but I have faith that if I immerse myself into a world full of Spanish speakers then I will learn to speak it over time. I have to. My survival there depends upon it.
I have wanted to start up an affiliate marketing business for years here at Wealthy Affiliate. However I find it ironic that it is necessity that has finally pushed me to put in the time and effort required to learn to be fluent in the language of affiliate marketing. Previously I WANTED to do it but I wasn't motivated enough to LEARN. I believe that with the right motivation and effort I can and will make a success of it. What's more, I believe that you can too.

What motivates you to make a success of your online business here at Wealthy Affiliate? Why are you doing it? Let me know in the comments.
Jacqueline Swan