Just a thought

One month ago a student came to me, no knowledge of letters, no experience holding a pencil, never put a puzzle together. That day we laid on the floor, handing him the pieces he pounded them together, struggled. When he finished, I simply said, “pat yourself on the back young man. You are so smart, look what you did.” His teacher let me know when he went back to his classroom he announced, “I am Smart.” Later that day another teacher stopped me and asked if I was working with this young man. I said yes to her reply, “I knew it he told me he was smart today.”

Four weeks later, a lot of struggles, he no longer needs to trace my pictures, letters… he is writing them on his own. When he reads back his work outloud if he makes an error he slams the book shut and starts over, until he is able to read it with no errors. In one month he has doubled his inital reading score. He is smart, capable and able to do great things, he is owning it. Today he took out a puzzle, laid on the floor and told me to just sit there and watch him. He could do it on his own, he did. When he finished he asked me to take his picture, send it to his teacher. “I am smart”, he stated. He insisted I walk him back to class, let his teacher know he is smart and that I sent the picture.

My thought is this, one simple statement. If one simple statement like “I am smart”, repeated daily, makes such an enormous difference, what would happen if we took one affirmation about ourselves, looked ourselves in the eye, believed it, walked into the room shouted it outloud or to ourselves? Seriously, the simplicity of it, what would happen? Every day, one month, why not? Claim your intelligence, gifts, shout them with belief, see what happens. Take those challenges, hold them in both hands, lay them out, pound them with all your might, struggle…and all the while repeat your affirmation, “I am smart, thin, happy, able…” whatever you choose. Just believe it, say it with gusto. Own it….

Know that you are beautiful, smart, full of boundless potential. Claim it, look yourself in the mirror, shout your affirmation, own your magic. Believe, know there are struggles, it is tough, you can overcome, you will. Lean in and watch your magic unfold, you got this! Why not if it works for one, why not you and me?

Just a thought…..