Melanie Page

After finding a list on The Good Trade of positive affirmations to read through in the morning, I realized I could use each one as a springboard to accentuate the positive. The first affirmation states, “I affirm and encourage others, as I do myself.”

Lately, my friend who is a PhD candidate in a highly-competitive biochemistry program at an elite university has been texting: is it okay that I cannot do anymore work today? What she’s unintentionally expressing is anxiety, that search for confirmation from an outside source that what she knows is best for her is right. My replies have affirmed that she knows herself and her limitations.

One mantra we have in interpreting that comes up more often than you would think is “we’re all human.” We have limitations. We’re going to make mistakes, but we need to own and correct them. We need to be transparent about mistakes. To make a mistake does not mean we are poor interpreters, and we are still deserving of encouragement. Often, we forget to encourage ourselves, demonstrating kindness to our colleagues and forgetting that positive self-talk. Recently, I saw a Facebook post that said something to the effect of “What if you assumed the best?” Whew, did you feel your shoulders loosen a bit, too? What an amazing concept!

By encouraging myself and others, I build a positive mindset that allows me to continue assuming the best and feeling braver. I affirm that what I am doing is right for me and my journey, a journey that I’m excited to be part of.

In what ways might you apply the mantra, “I affirm and encourage others, as I do myself”?