I’ve been thinking a lot about reassurance lately - what it means to each of us and why we need it so badly to feel like we are making an impact or doing something good with our lives. I think about this a great deal when I first begin a semester. Since I’ve started teaching, I seem to feel that maybe I am not the best suited to be speaking in front of an array of students, hoping to mold them into better public speakers. As I was walking to my car tonight, I nearly picked up my phone to text/call a friend and ask the question “do you think I am a good teacher?” And then I suddenly stopped rummaging through my purse on my quest to obtain my cellular telephone. Why do I need to call someone right now? I love what I’m doing and each and every time I stand up in front of that class, I have the ability to make a difference.

This kind of reassurance that we seem to feel we need in order to be reassured we are doing good with our lives is really working against us, no? Think about all of the decisions you make in your life and while yes, you are your own person and make decisions based on what you want…how many times can you recall where you ran to a friend/family member/mentor, etc asking for reassurance that you in fact, made the correct decision? So here’s the reverse of this….because sometimes reassurance is super important AND needed. There are times when things get bad and we feel low - this is a perfect time for us to reach out. But what I’m talking about is the feelings we have when we are truly doing something great for us - something that makes us happy. There wasn’t any doubt when we decided to proceed with that decision, so why should we think differently now? We can’t allow ourselves to get caught up in doubt….that is when we are really in danger of becoming scared and forgetting all the good we have to offer.