A Crumpled Paper Story
Have you ever noticed how some people seem to move through life with ease, while others struggle under an invisible weight?
You know the heaviest burdens are the ones we carry in our minds.
The more we hold onto our negative thoughts, the more they pull us down, limiting our growth, confidence, and ability to embrace new opportunities.
The other day, while cleaning my kids’ room, I picked up a stray piece of paper to toss in the bin. Naturally, I crumpled it first to make the shot easier and that’s when it hit me! The crumpling made it fall. Imagine dropping two identical papers. One is flat, the other crumpled. The flat one glides, catching the air. The crumpled one drops straight down, not because the weight changed but because the shape & structure changed.
This is exactly how negative thoughts affect us. When we let fears & self-doubt define us, we close ourselves off just like the crumpled paper. We become less open to possibilities, less adaptable, and more prone to sinking under pressure.
What if we weren’t meant to just fall or float but to fly?
In aerodynamics, the shape of an object determines how it moves through the air. Planes, birds, even paper airplanes are designed to generate lift. They don’t just give in to gravity, they work with resistance to rise. And the same applies to our mindset.
When we learn to reshape our thinking just like the paper rocket, we stop letting negative thoughts weigh us down. We start turning challenges into learning experiences. Failures become an attempt, not the verdict. We move forward just like a wing catching the wind. This is how a flexible mindset turns pressure into momentum. It becomes something entirely new. Something with direction. Something designed for lift off.
Of course this is not easy!
A rocket doesn’t fly because it avoids resistance, it flies because it pushes through it. The very air that slows it down becomes part of what helps it rise.
In the same way, growth often requires moving through discomfort, not around it. Sitting with difficult emotions, facing and learning to resolve unresolved thoughts, or taking the next step when you are still uncertain at, helps you launch. Bearing discomfort isn’t a sign you are failing, it’s often a sign you are flying.
Your mindset can do the same. Even after being folded by life, crumpled by mistakes, or weathered by self-doubt, you can refold yourself into something that soars.
Reframing negative thoughts. Being flexible with emotions. Choosing environments that uplift rather than drag down. Staying open to growth, even when it’s uncomfortable. These are the folds that shape flight.
So the next time you feel stuck, ask yourself:
Am I letting my thoughts crumple me, or am I ready to reshape them into something that can rise?
Because even a simple piece of paper can become a rocket.
Let’s learn to glide, not sink.
#mindsetmatt
