Toot Your Own Horn | Kindling 5.21.24
Your Words To My Eyeballs
I’ve long believed that the vast majority of us have a sincere and troubling problem of never loving ourselves enough. I think we put ourselves down, I think we hold ourselves to unrealistic sets of demands that are designed to be unreachable, and I think we become masters at complimenting others, whilst never being able to turn that lens onto who we are. Today, I want to change that:
Tell me what the very best part of being YOU is, what makes YOU so brilliant, special, beautiful, unique, and vitally important to the entire fabric of this place? Tell us, and feel absolutely no shame in doing so.
I hope this starts a new trend where we’re not afraid to embrace the greatness that is ourselves, I hope it teaches you that sometimes, you gotta just toot your own horn. Start here.
Let’s do this thing, click the button, submit your response.
For me, it’s two things. The first is that I am giving my kids things I never had. I listen when they speak. They are allowed to have feelings and opinions. I am consistent. I love them completely. I model what it is to be human with flaws and boundaries and apologies.
The other is that, on top of being a high school English teacher, I am coordinator for all of the language learners (those for whom English is not their first language) at my school. I overaee their schedules and teachers and adcocate for them. And I am damn good at my job. I love these kids. I am organized and efficient and I know my stuff. So much of the time what I do feels invisible, but I keep going because of these kids. And in nine more days, I get to watch 11 of my Newcomers (once who arrived here in high school) graduate.
I am brave, bold, and independent. I am a survivor and I'm not afraid to start over again. I love fully and fiercely even when evidence says I should not.