Chapter 3: The Truth about Ability and Accomplishment

  1. Did you always assume that success came right from innate talent or ability? Discuss people you know who are brilliant or talented but never went anywhere. And people who are not so brilliant or talented, but are highly successful. How did they do it?
  2. Was there a difficult transition in your life where you fell into a fixed mindset and lost confidence in your abilities? Describe it.
  3. Look at the before and after drawings on page 69. What do they tell you about talent?
  4. Were you labeled a gifted child? Did it help you or hurt you?
  5. Have you ever trusted someone’s negative evaluation of your ability or talent? Think about it now. How could they judge your potential?