Rise Above
By Marcia Davis-Dawkins
The space around us can sometimes be so cold and cruel. It seems that most times, we tend to want to sit and wallow in self-pity and crawl into a space and hope that we are not noticed. Many of us need to reach for positivity and happiness so we can dig out of the holes in which we find ourselves. Some people might think that this is a call for therapy, while others might believe that we only need positive affirmation to walk us through some of our pain. It can be overwhelming to hear sadness and negativity.
Why Positive Affirmation?
Everyone needs to feel good about himself/herself. In a world where it seems as if we are hearing so many negatives, it seems only fair that we hear positives as well. What better way to start the positives than with us? Positive affirmation sends that message. It gives us encouragement that things can be rewarding and empowering. All we need to do is reassure ourselves that we believe in ourselves. How do we do this? Each week we should chose a positive statement that sends a positive message to ourselves. For example, “I am amazing” – we say the statement throughout the day, for a week. The statement should be repeated several times during the day (for a week). We should find time to look in the mirror at least once per day to say the statement. This affirmation should also be said the last thing at night. With constant repetition, the words will be grounded in you. It will uplift and begin renewing your mind. Each affirmation should be supported (reinforced) with a Bible verse.
Through positive affirmation, there is love of one’s self and confirmation that you are okay. They also help us confirm that life is not always dreary and dark, but we can see things in a different way which can affect our mood.
As educators, we are responsible for the mood of our students and as they enter our classroom environment, we can set the tone of their day and possibly, their year. We can start by hanging positive sayings around the classroom so that the more they see them, the more they resonate in their brains. Eventually they will start to believe those new views and be on a permanent mood boost because they will turn into concrete beliefs. I think it is fitting and appropriate to affirm what Shawn Achor said, “Optimism is a daily spiritual practice. And when we do it, we can transform this world. What a better place to start than in the classroom?