Be Proud of Yourself

I read a passage recently that said when we are children, we look at ourselves in the mirror and we love what we see.  We are delighted in our reflection, happy with our skills, and confident that we are an artist, a singer, a star and that anything is possible.  I recently went to my eight-year-old nephew’s hockey game, and afterwards what I experienced was equal to an NHL media scrum.  He was proud beyond belief at his one goal and his performance on the ice. I just loved the way he sauntered out of the change room and greeted his adoring fans.  Where does all this go as we get older?  I think we start to question our abilities; we start comparing ourselves to others, we get messages big and small about what we are good at, what we should stop doing, what we need to improve. And then we get kind of stuck in a place where we are on a continuous loop of disapproval and self-improvement.  Do we take enough time to question these messages?   Mrs. Hutchinson gave me a D in music in grade 2, that was a message that I added to my reflection over the years. However, I think she was mostly reflecting on my inability to stop chatting in singing time, or my tendency to want to sing all the parts.  I did not go on to be a full-time singer or musician in my adult life, but I did go on to keep enjoying music no matter what Mrs. Hutchinson thought all those years ago.  This is our one magical life, own what you are, look in the mirror with happy acceptance and try to saunter with the confidence of an 8-year-old scoring a goal on a Saturday with his aunt cheering.