We need to encourage ourselves

"Remember, today is the best day of your life because yesterday was and tomorrow may only be."

Remember when you were a little child trying to learn to walk? Maybe not, but I'm pretty sure it went something like this:

First you had to learn to stand: a process involving constantly falling down, then getting back up. You laughed sometimes and cried at other times. Somehow there was a determination and conviction that you would succeed, no matter what.

After much practice you finally figured it out how to balance yourself, a necessary requirement. You enjoyed this new feeling of power- you'd stand everywhere you could- in your crib, by the couch, on someones lap. It was a joyous time- you did it! You were in control of you.

Now the next step- walking. You'd seen others do it. It didn't look that hard, just move your legs while you were standing, right? Wrong. More complexity than you ever imagined. More frustration than anyone should have to deal with. But you tried, again and again and again until you figured this out, too.

If people caught you walking, they applauded, they laughed, it was a, "Oh my God, look at what he's/she's doing". This encouragement fueled you on; it raised your self-confidence.

But how many times did you attempt when no one was watching, when no one was cheering? Every chance you got. You had places to go, things to see, knowledge to learn. You couldn't wait for someone to encourage you to take the next steps. You learned how to encourage yourself. If we could only remember this about ourselves in today's day.

Remember that we can do anything we set our minds to if we are willing to go through the process, just like when we learned to walk. We don't need to wait for others to encourage us; we need to encourage ourselves.

If you've forgotten how to do this, or feel like your self-esteem needs a boost, take a short journey back through your life- look at your accomplishments, no matter if they were large or small, you met the challenge and figured out a way to succeed.

Focus on all the things you thought you could never do, initially, and did. While going back, look for the little child you once were. Thank them for never giving up. As you wave goodbye, remember they will never give up on you. They have believed in you all of your life!

Now you need to believe in you too! "Remember, today is the best day of your life because yesterday was and tomorrow may only be."