April 27, 2011

"RECOGNIZE WHAT YOU ARE GOOD AT!"

Do you really give yourself enough credit for what you are good at in life? Most of us go through life focusing more on what we cannot do or on what we have trouble doing than on what we excel at. For example, when I was going through school, Algebra was not my strong subject. I struggled through that subject, and the only way I received good grades in my two Algebra classes were by working my butt off and by having examples in front of me all the time. Now that I work with children of all ages, I sometimes find myself having to help Junior High School students with Algebra problems. Since this was never one of my strong subjects, I tend to be hard on myself if I do not grasp the lesson which may be assigned on a given day when working at the Junior High School. However, instead of being so hard on myself for struggling with certain aspects of this class, I need to give myself credit for the areas in which I excel in.

Just the other day, the students were assigned a worksheet for homework in Algebra. During the one study hall, all the students were working on their assignment with the help of myself, another aide, and a substitute teacher. Well, the one problem had everyone stumped except for me! I could not believe that I was understanding a problem that an aide (who had given me a hard time a few weeks earlier for not understanding different aspects of the subject) and a substitute teacher could not even figure out. I was so proud of myself when I had to explain to this aide how to get the answer.

I am slowly learning to look at what I am good at in life. There may be different things that I may be good at that someone else may struggle with. Instead of being so hard on myself when I encounter something that does not come easily to me, I need to refocus my thoughts on what I excel at. Recognize what you are good at!