A Simple Mindset Shift That Makes Success Inevitable
Acquisition Aces - Issue #8 - Read Time - 3.5 minutes
A Simple Mindset Shift That Makes Success Inevitable
One of the most popular series of all time was The West Wing. It aired for 7 seasons from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The show is ranked at the 10 spot on The Writers Guild of America’s 101 Best-Written TV Series list. Yes, the show is overtly political at times (OK, all the time but it is a show about the White House). However, given the time it was on TV, the messaging is much less polarized than it would be if it aired now. It almost seems outdated and quaint at times.
What is not out of style is the mindset of the main character, President Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen. The role was originally meant to be only an intermittent guest starring gig, but Sheen’s performance in the early episodes changed the entire gravity of the show. His presence anchored the series week in and week out for the entire run.
Regardless of what you think about the show, there is a huge mindset lesson from how Sheen's character shrugs off adversity. No matter what happens, he does not dwell on the past. He only focuses on moving forward. The line of dialogue “what’s next” signals to all of the other characters that it is time to stop feeling bad and start acting. Here is a compilation of every time the line is used in the show:
