I have a toddler who is just now beginning to walk. There is constant cheering and clapping going on to encourage him. We clap and cheer for a lot of things. He absolutely loves it and thrives off of that positive energy and encouragement. And that smile in return? Heart melting.
It got me to thinking … when did that stop happening? When did the cheering stop? I feel like once we reach adulthood that type of encouragement has almost completely disappeared. You get a little bit of it in high school, especially if you are part of a team or club of some sort, but other then that … “YEY! You did your homework! Great job! High five!” Nope. None of that.
So if we don’t get it anymore how can we get it? We might be lucky and have a partner or roommate or sibling or BFF who is always cheering for us. But not everyone has that, certainly not on a consistent daily basis.
It is up to us. It is up to you. YOU have to be your own best cheerleader. YOU have to encourage and cheer for yourself. YOU have to hype yourself up.
I am on a big Mel Robbins kick at the moment and am reading her book “The High Five Habit“. It is such an amazing and simple concept. The idea is that you high five yourself in the mirror every day, as an act of encouragement, “I see you”, #yougotthis. You do it first thing in the morning when you roll out of bed, go to the bathroom and brush your teeth. The idea is that you are stacking it on an already existing habit (brushing your teeth) so it is easier to implement. (she goes into all the science behind it in her book)
I started doing this a few days ago and I’ll admit it felt a bit silly. But I have actually started looking forward to high fiving myself in the mirror each morning. I have my own back. I am my own cheerleader. I believe in myself. I don’t have to depend on anyone else for that encouragement. I got this.
“I starts with a simple decision to do something different.”
~Mel Robbins
So why not try it? High five yourself in the mirror tomorrow morning after you brush your teeth and see what happens. And watch this and this. Because Mel explains it a whole lot better than I do…😉