The Bath Christmas Market taught me something surprising about people.

Over three gingerbread-scented weeks, in finger-numbing cold, I must have met over 1,000 people.

Chatted with them. Heard their stories.

Learned about their jobs, struggles, wins — and everything in between.

But one thing stood out more than anything else.

It wasn’t what people did for work.

It wasn’t what they wore.

It was this: attitude.

Some people walked up to the stall smiling.

Full of warmth, full of chat — glass-half-full types.

You know the ones. A little spark in their eyes. A “yes” energy to life.

Others?

They arrived already annoyed.

Mumbling about the weather.

Grumbling about the prices.

Queuing like they were on their way to renew their car tax, not buy a brownie.

Now, before I get labelled a judgmental so-and-so — I get it.

We all have bad days.

Sometimes people get terrible news. Sometimes the duvet wins.

Case in point: When mine was low at the market, people walked right past the stall.

But when I showed up energised, open, even just trying to be positive…

People stopped. Smiled. Engaged. Bought.

The energy you give off is the experience you create.

And it all starts with how you choose to show up.

Stanford professor Carol Dweck, the author of “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.” Is the brains behind this idea, she calls it:

Growth mindset vs Fixed mindset.

Here’s the gist:

• A fixed mindset says: “You’re either good at something or you’re not.”

• A growth mindset says: “With effort, I can improve.”

Dweck’s research showed that how we think about our potential directly affects whether we’ll ever reach it.

She ran experiments with children solving puzzles.

Some were praised for being clever. Others were praised for their effort.

Guess who gave up faster when things got tough?

Yep — the “clever” kids.

The ones praised for effort, though? They leaned in. Took on bigger challenges.

Because they saw struggle as part of getting better.

When I look back on my own tough seasons — the ones where I felt stuck, stressed, or a bit lost — I can now see it wasn’t just the circumstances that held me back.

It was me.

My mindset. My attitude. My resistance to change.

I wanted life to be easier. More fair. More exciting.

But I wasn’t doing anything to make it that way.

I just stewed in my own bitterness, waiting for something external to shift.

If I could go back and whisper in my own ear.

I’d just say…

“Mate… come on, sort your attitude out.”

Because that’s where everything starts.

Change Your Mindset, Change Your Direction.

You can’t always control what happens to you.

But you can control how you show up to meet it.

Your attitude Is Your aptitude.

Have a great week ahead.
Kia kaha & much love,
Chris x