I’ve never been a great writer but I always thought I was ok. When I was a kid, I thought that I wanted to write children’s books when I grew up. I used to write short stories and even sent a few to publishers. As often is the case, all of them were rejected.
Thus, my dreams of becoming a writer went down the tubes.
Self confidence is the key to everything. If you feel good about yourself, everything else will fall into place. It took me a long time to realize that important point. In fact, it’s still something I struggle with on a daily basis.
Recently, I started a new job, bringing with it new expectations, new people and new experiences. All of these things can be incredibly exciting and potentially overwhelming. I’ve learned that not everyone is going to love what you do or embrace your newness wholeheartedly. It may take people a while to get to know the real you.
Sometimes at work we feel that others’ expectations are not in line with our own abilities. That’s a tough thing to deal with and a situation over which we have little control. All of these things can take a toll on a person’s valuable self esteem. When you’re starting to feel down on yourself, it’s easy to let things spiral into a place from which it’s difficult to recover. A situation can go from one irritating email to an argument with a coworker in minutes, leaving you feeling down in the dumps. It’s easy to get discouraged.
I’ve learned that when I get frustrated with my own performance or with others’ expectations to sit back, take a deep breath and try to think clearly before I take the next step. You don’t have to be great at any one thing; you just have to love what you’re doing. Having the self esteem to be who you are and stand up for what you believe in is one of the most valuable feelings in the world. What do you love about your life?
It only took a little push and some kind words from my good friend Steph to get me to write this, my first ever, blog post. A little encouragement from friends and family goes a long way.
Be who you are and do your best. That should be good enough for everyone.
You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love & affection. -Buddha
Thank you, Sara! Self confidence is not easy to come by, especially with intellectual tasks such as writing or counseling a patient. I really love that you decided to write this post. It's so honest, and I think everyone can relate with feelings of frustration over self-doubt and over others' expectations. I would love to read some of your short stories! I bet they are adorable and fantastic. Thanks for the lovely words you shared w/us today.
ReplyDelete