I believe in the power of positivity.
Growing up, and still to this day, I’ve been fortunate enough to be surrounded by an extremely supportive family. When I was younger, I never really thought about how important it was that my parents wanted me to fulfill my goals and dreams and how encouraging they were through the process. I just thought, “Wow, their positivity is super annoying!” because what grade school-aged kid wouldn’t get frustrated by constant positive remarks when all they want to do is sit in their own self-pity. Now, looking back at all the things I was involved with growing up, whether it was a sport, dance, a club or activity, my parents always told me I could do whatever I set my mind to. My dad’s famous saying was, “‘Can’t’ is a bad word,” because he never wanted me or my brother to say we couldn’t do something. So, we followed his one rule and didn’t question our ability to do anything.
For example, when I was going into my freshman year of high school, I auditioned for my high school’s dance team. Sadly, I did not make the team that first year. Instead of giving up and sitting in my own disappointment, I decided to work harder and get better for auditions the next year. To do so, I enrolled in more dance classes so that I could improve my skills and figure out what needed to be fixed in my own technique. I also became more aware of my facial expressions so that I could be a better performer on the field for football games. Once auditions rolled around for my sophomore year, I gave it my all and ended up making the team. I knew that with hard work, dedication, and positivity, I could do anything.
Now, as a 20 year old junior in college, I look back and realize that there was never a time that I didn’t accomplish something I put my mind to. Yes, there were some times when I doubted myself, my abilities, and if I even could do something, but in the end, I was always able to fulfill my goals. Moving forward toward my future, I know that I will continue to encounter situations in which I will doubt myself, but I can only be positive about what the outcome will be. In the moment, it’s easy to think of the worse case scenario(s), instead of the good ones, because being let down is not the best feeling. However, I know that with the power of positivity and maintaining a good mindset, anything is possible.