I want to go back to a few memories from childhood this week, and explain why we all need a person in our corner. Sure, I could mention my family, but that wouldn’t be a surprise.
I want to take you back to 17 year-old me in year 12 at school. My head of year, and also my teacher for English was my biggest supporter. I never really noticed her influence on me until I became an adult, so I want to explain what made her so special.
For one, she believed in my potential more than I did. She could see straight through the anxiety and the desire to get everything perfect. Whenever I would feel deflated by an essay I had done, she would always tell me not to worry about it, and that I didn’t need to re-do it again. You might be thinking, that would be a good way to learn from mistakes, but she knew that I wouldn’t be re-writing effectively. I would spend 6-7 hours on an essay that should only take 45 minutes, take all of her improvements as criticisms and declare myself a failure that is incapable of doing well.
This has only scraped the surface. She knew that my quiet and private approach in school wasn’t the real me. Somehow, she had figured out the real me fairly early on. She knew there was more to my life than I let on, and that I played dumb to many things. She saw straight through the bullshit front I used amongst my peers out of fear of rejection.
One of the most important things though, was the fact that she always checked in on me. She knew when something was wrong, or when it wasn’t. She knew if I was stressed, worried, sad, but also happy, excited, or uplifted.
When it came to the end of year 12, she left my school and went to teach somewhere else. Although it felt that something was missing, she left with a really important message, “sometimes you have to do things for yourself. Make sure that you always remember your worth and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Fast-forward to today, and I still remember the last thing she said to me. Although I may not follow it, it’s something I always aspire to. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what she was trying to tell me, but I know now that she wanted me to have the confidence to do me and not do for everyone else. She saw many of my struggles at school, and this was her way of reassuring me everything will be fine.
She hasn’t been the only person that’s believed in me either. My parents have always been incredibly supportive, even if we didn’t see eye to eye. My closest friends, and some of my previous and current work colleagues.
What I’m trying to say is this, having someone that believes in you, when you may not yourself, can be the biggest confidence boost. Most of us probably wouldn’t recognise it in the moment, only upon reflection.
With all of my supporters, I try to give support out to others. I see it as being a debt to society and them otherwise.
For anyone out there, there is always someone that believes in you. Seek those people, and hold them close.
Have a good week,
Inside Out 🙂
Inside Out 