Confidence- I've known for awhile that the more I try to project confidence the more I feel it and others may feel it from me as well. However what I'm thinking about today is how powerful and empowering it is to have others show confidence in you.
Recent jobs have made me reflect on this- 2 of them making me feel empowered and 1 of them making me feel the exact opposite. In my job as an activity director at Ohesson Manor, I was all of a sudden asked to do all kinds of things that I had never done before- big things, scary things, cool things, amazing things. Of course I didn't let on how overwhelming some of those felt. I just said ok and went to work. However, the kind words, help, support and overwhelming expectations that I could and would do just fine made such a difference. They thought I could do something so I jumped right in and did so. They recognized my strengths and understood that since someone hired me to do this job, I could and would do what was needed. I felt empowered. I feel like that job gave me a lot of personal growth- I moved outside of my comfort zone and did cool things- things I didn't know I had the ability to do until someone showed confidence in me.
As a recent classroom aide, I was basically told you are on the lowest rung of the ladder. I felt like although I had a background that may have been useful in this setting, it didn't really matter. It just felt uncomfortable and depressing to be there. Not empowering.
I recently started a new job. My first vote of confidence came from a former co-worker who said really nice things about me to her current boss, recommending me for the job. Another confidence boost came from a former employer who said the new place would love me. So once I started working I was thrown into a tricky situation, but my boss just said ok this is what we are going to do and we did it. AND IT WENT FINE. I don't know that I would have trusted myself to just jump right in, but she did. Afterwards she mentioned how impressed she was with how I handled it. Which just builds more confidence.
I'm grateful for those who have shown confidence in me. It has changed me. It really makes me want to show confidence in others- to build others up, not put them down. I want my kids to feel confidence, that even when they don't feel up to something, that I'm going to be behind them knowing they can. I want to help others in whatever situations to have the confidence to just move forward and try. I'm on your team.
And so it goes...
1 comment:
This is awesome. Thanks for writing this! I also think sometimes it's important to just fake confidence in the people we love, even if we have some misgivings. Ryan signed up for an expensive online business class last year, and honestly my first thought was, "Ryan does not have the personality to be a business man. Why would he spend money on this??" but I could see in his face that he was so nervous and was worried about what I might say, so instead of verbalizing my doubt or even hinting to it, I said, "That is so awesome! Way to go! You are going to learn so much and do awesome!" I was amazed by how his face changed. He started beaming like a little kid and gave me a huge hug. He later wrote me a note and thanked me for believing in him. It was a great lesson for me of the importance of just being a cheerleader for the people we love. They have enough critics. They are their own critics! And Ryan has loved the class and learned so much. I'm glad I chose to just show confidence in him!
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