Some people believe that qualities and talents are fixed. Certain people are born with certain qualities that bring them certain opportunities. No matter how hard they work or how much they try to improve, their potential is set from birth and cannot be changed. They can achieve within that potential to varying degrees, but the maximum potential itself stops at a point that is defined from birth.

Other people believe that qualities and talents are fluid. Each person’s potential is unknown and can be raised or lowered according to the actions they take. Nothing about a human’s ability to create and achieve is innate. It is all built and developed by effort and actions. They can grow and improve and become somebody they were never meant to be.

When you look at an actor or CEO you admire, what do you see?

Do you see blind luck? Do you see somebody who landed in an opportunity by happenstance because they were born into that path? Do you feel animosity towards them for getting a luckier roll of the dice than you?

Or do you see the hours, days, weeks, months, and years of hard work they put in to get themselves to where they are now? Do you see the pure determination that drove them from nothing to something? Do you see the conviction they had to achieve something before they had achieved anything?

No matter where you are right now, I think you can choose which mindset you want to adopt and develop.