This morning, as I was driving my daughter to school—which is in a different town from where we live—she confessed something that tugged at my heart: “I suck at math,” she said. Her words weren’t just about math; they revealed a mindset that could hold her back.
I told her she was looking at it the wrong way. Simply saying, “I suck at math,” wasn’t going to help her improve. Instead, I encouraged her to ask herself a better question: “How can I find joy in math?” By doing this, I explained, her brain would start looking for ways to make math enjoyable and, ultimately, help her improve.
To illustrate my point, I gave her an analogy. I reminded her of a time when her mom was shopping for a car. Suddenly, it seemed like that particular car was everywhere. This wasn’t magic; it was her brain helping her notice what she was focused on. The same principle applies to learning: when you set your mind on something, your brain will work to find it.
I went a step further and tied this idea to a deeper truth about who we are. I explained that we’re created in the image of God, who exists as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—a three-person God. Similarly, we are three-person beings, made up of mind, body, and spirit. Our mind processes what our body needs or asks for, while our spirit is like a storage place for everything we experience and learn.
With that in mind, I encouraged her to think of math differently. Instead of focusing on what she couldn’t do, she could direct her mind to ask, “How can I find joy in math to improve my knowledge?” It’s a small shift, but one that can make all the difference. By changing her perspective, she can unlock a new way of approaching challenges—not just in math, but in life.
Sometimes, all it takes is a little reframing to turn frustration into curiosity and defeat into growth. Whether it’s math or any other struggle, the key is to ask the right questions and let your mind, body, and spirit work together to find the answers.
