What do free bagels have to do with mindset? Well, quite a lot actually. I fell apart last year and dove deep into self-help books in an effort to become okay again. (Spoiler alert: there is no magic book to fast-track your healing.)
I got on a Mel Robbins kick and binged her books on Audible. I don’t actually remember which book introduced the free bagel mindset, but it resonated with me strongly. In fact, I immediately started a draft blog post that simply said “bagels or line?” so I’d remember to write about it.
That was many months ago. Better late than never, right?
Free Bagels Mindset
Mel Robbins wrote about getting up early to do some work of race or walk. 5K? 10K? Marathon? I don’t remember. That part didn’t really have my interest. However, the free bagels following the race captured her attention, and the analogy she made between them and mindset caught mine.
Mel noticed a huge line after the race. She was curious and investigated. She was excited to report back to her friend that they were giving out free bagels.
Her friend didn’t share her enthusiasm, though. “The line is too long,” her friend said, immediately deciding free carbs weren’t worth the wait in line.
Do You See the Bagels or the Line?
Mel proposed there are two types of people. Those who see free bagels and those who just see the long line.
It’s the classic “Do you see the glass as half empty or half full?”
While I want to munch on complimentary baked goods while sipping a half-full glass of iced cold brew coffee, I don’t think the scenario has to be so black and white.
You can strive for a free bagels mindset while still acknowledging the line. Sometimes you won’t mind waiting in line – sometimes you won’t even notice the wait. Other times the line will be really annoying. Maybe you’ll decide to go for the bagels anyway. Or maybe you’ll decide it’s just not worth it to you today. And that’s all okay.
I think we can strive for a free bagels mindset without setting ourselves up for shame when we aren’t quite as optimistic and relaxed.
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