Some people said some really nice things to me over the past weekend. On Saturday, someone I’d just met said they thought it was rather handsome. It was a little weird and awkward, but I really appreciated it.
Yesterday I got to spend some time with my uncle.
If you’ve followed my blog in the past, you know that I have a very complicated relationship with my parents. I have the utmost respect for my parents and how they’ve raised me, but unfortunately, their religious views and how they apply them to our relationship have created a situation where it’s better that we don’t talk.
I’ve remarked in the past, and I did yesterday, that at the top of my list of wishes is a call from my dad saying… Hey! Wanna grab a beer and talk about life? And my uncle remarked that I’d probably settle for a milkshake or something, and he’s right.
But that wasn’t what really made the impact yesterday.
Last night over dinner, he told me how proud of me he thought my dad would be and listed a couple of reasons why.
I think he’s probably right, and as I’ve been thinking about it since, and kinda tearing up now… I’m hoping to learn to see myself the way my uncle sees me.
We’re not as kind to ourselves as we should be, and we judge ourselves harsher than almost anyone else.
And for that reason, it’s good to have outside voices that build us up and help to reframe our view of ourselves in a positive light.
So, if you catch someone doing something good, or notice something good, let them know you’ve seen it. You’ll have more impact than you could possibly imagine.