This is, and will continue to be, a common theme throughout Echoes. You are your biggest fan, best friend, closest ally, but also your toughest critic, hardest judge, and darkest enemy. Your words are the first and most profound thing to impact you as a whole. If you can’t find some wedge of belief in your own self, affirmation and love from others will never truly have an impact.
I heard Dr. Ivan Joseph’s TED talk on my way to work this morning. He is an extremely well spoken yet simple speaker, in the best of ways. This 14 minute talk was one that anyone could understand and grow from. These are my favorite sources of inspiration as anyone can grow from them. I want to build off of two things he said that not only relate directly to this Echo, but also to your own sense of being and light.
Dr. Joseph spoke on a list next to his mirror of things that make him who he is. Other humans will always find things to belittle you about, it is easy for people to make fun of your hair, your height, your clothes, your wealth, the list of easy targets is never-ending. To combat this, he places a list next to his bathroom mirror of things he is proud of, things he has accomplished that he deems to be crucial to his existence.
Secondly, and more importantly, Dr. Joseph carries a letter that he wrote to himself everywhere he goes. It may not be read for months or years, but it is always accessible when needed. It is simple – it is a basic reminder of who he is, what he has done, and where he came from. Thanking and congratulating himself for things that make him who he is: his educational successes, being a proud father and loving husband, a national championship winning coach, the list goes on. He willingly admits that he has had times in his life when he almost wore through this letter from how many times he read it, how many times he had to convince himself that he is who he wants to be. He jokingly states he has no idea how some kid that loved soccer and science became a Ph.D and National Championship winning coach. Yet he did, and deserves to be reminded of it.
So, I challenge you to do the same. Write yourself some notes on why you are who you are. It can be as simple as a list on a sticky note, or you can type up an elaborate dissertation and laminate it. The themes remain the same. Humans are much more likely to believe something they read, something tangible, than simple words. Tell yourself you’re beautiful, remind yourself of the speedbumps you have overcome to obtain your Bachelors, your Masters, even your GED, pump yourself up over those 15 pounds you’ve lost.
Deconstructed Echos 