Positive vs. Negative

Have you ever been asked to write down things you love about yourself? Do you sit there twiddling your thumbs, twirling your hair, staring off into space while blowing bubbles with your gum as you search your brain for the positives? I wish I could say “oh, just me?” but sadly, it happens to a lot of us.

Why are we so conditioned to readily see, and sometimes obsess, over our flaws and failures yet have to dig extra deep to find a glimpse of what we “like” about ourselves?

I found that it’s super helpful to ask those (you trust) around you…not like in a weird, desperate way, but rather in a straight forward “what’s one positive trait that you like about me?” or “if you have a second, can you tell me one way that I’ve impacted your life?” When you get those answers from those trusted people, write them down so you can look back at it later. If you’re anything like me, you’ll forget those uplifting comments as time marches on and they won’t be easily referenced and you’re going to want the reminders. Others tend to see the way you shine easier than you allow yourself too.

Take time to ask.

Take time to search within.

There’s a cool trick about spinning a perceived negative into a positive. For instance, instead of using the word ”stubborn” which tends to have a negative connotation, I can say “persistent” which invokes a more positive reaction. 😉

Here’s a list I composed about what I “like” about myself:

Goal-oriented

Considers all options

Stand firm in my beliefs

Perseverance and Persistence

Independent

Forgiving

Reliable/Responsible

Believe in taking care of this temple God gave me (well, minus those mimosas/cocktails I consume but 🤷‍♀️)

Adventurous

We’re not going to talk about how long it took me to come up with that list but I challenge you to do the same, no matter how long it takes (or who you have to ask to help build your list). Positive traits; find them, embrace them, love them.

We were made for great things. Let’s stop hiding from our gifts because of fear, or worse, other people’s opinions of us.

Time to stop playing small, friends.