Lessons from Afghanistan

Taliban has taken over Afghanistan in a matter of days after the U.S army was withdrawn. The U. S trained Afghan army had the best equipment, technology and was more in number compared to the Taliban. Yet, the army surrendered or fled without any battle. 

There are important lessons to be learned:

1. Having the best technology or equipment doesn't guarantee victory when the spirit of the man/woman lacks courage. 
2. The Afghan army was an army for namesake. They had not fought hard battles. Their hands were trained for war but their minds were not. 
3. The U.S army fought the battle with the Taliban for 20 years and the Afghan army played an insignificant role in these battles. They were protected by the U.S army. 
4. The Afghan army did not have a strong WHY or purpose to defend their country or countrymen. 
5. Fleeing from the country or surrendering to the opponent (Taliban) without any resistance or push back despite being well-equipped shows that the spirit of men was defeated much before the allies left. 

In the depths of a man's heart lies a desire to do something that will bring glory even if that means sacrificing his own life. However, this desire and mindset were absent in the Afghan army. 

Take time to introspect to consider the mindset that you have developed over the years. Do you give up easily or are you a fighter who perseveres in face of struggles?

The Beginner's Mindset

Think of a child who looks at everything with curious eyes. S/he doesn't jump to conclusions because there is no previous data stored in his/her mind. 

As we grow older, we have established patterns in our minds about the world around us. And unconsciously we interpret the world based on these patterns. These patterns may prove helpful at times and even life-saving. But these patterns also keep us back from connecting with people and unlocking our own creative potential. How many times, do you say "I know this" to information that is presented to you? How many times, do you say "I've tried this" to a solution that is proposed? When the "I know-it-all" becomes your standard way of responding to every stimulus, there is a strong possibility that you may not fully understand the environment and may operate in auto-pilot i.e doing things the way you did in the past and get the same results you got in the past. 

Curiosity is an essential competency to become aware of yourself and the world around you. How curious are you on a scale of 0 -10 (0 being not at all and 10 being highly curious)? You stop learning and growing as a person when you stop being curious. 

A beginner's mindset is a blank slate. You need to unlearn and open your mind to new approaches. Unlearning can take place when you put aside your ego and give yourself time to reflect on the information that has created a cognitive dissonance in you. 

When you look at problems with a beginner's mindset, you will see endless solutions. Asking "why" questions will give deeper insights into problems. If you want to truly empathize with a person or group of people and if you want to unleash your creative abilities, you need to approach the situation with a beginner's mindset. 

Intentionally practicing the beginner's mindset will open your mind to unlimited possibilities.