You are smart. You are kind. You are important.

You are Smart. You are Kind. You are important.

Resting on a princess pillow, under a Minnie Mouse blanket, through the muffle of one tattered puppy dog and a withering bear bear, Jovi Girl and Anna Banana say to one another,

“You are smart, you are kind, and you are important.”

Then they say to themselves,

“I am smart, I am kind, and I am important.”

This is the nightly ritual in the bedroom of the princesses in our house.

Our streets are tickled by a parade of little feet, tricycle wheels, and bouncing balls every evening. The air rings with the giggles and squeals of innocent childhood. Our kids are growing up in happy noise today. But before we see it coming they will become aware and submerged by the noise of the real world.

Before our voices, and their own voices, become white noise in a distracted culture, Val and I are seizing the moments where every word is heard. If our girls hear encouraging words from each other, and from themselves thousands of times before anyone else offers an alternative thought, then maybe they will have a thousand times better chance of remembering that when a bully, a friend, or a boy tells them differently.

So we practice whispering, “I am smart. I am kind. I am important.”

Then we practice shouting. “I am beautiful on the inside, and the outside!”

Then we sing “I know an old lady who swallowed a spider,” and wiggle and jiggle and tickle them until they fall asleep.

I believe they will become who they tell themselves they are. And I believe they will tell themselves what they hear others tell them.

I also believe you will become who you tell yourself you are. And I believe it is much easier to tell yourself what you hear others telling you.

What is being said in the circles you surround yourself with?

Do you believe them? Are you repeating them in your mind, to yourself?

The door to your fullest potential can only be unlocked by the key that is your beliefs. If you want to be better tomorrow than you are today, start telling yourself different things and surround yourself with others who will do the same.

BW