Here I am on a Saturday night, sitting in my dorm with my comfiest sweatshirt, my hands free to carelessly rub my eyes thanks to my lack of makeup, and an annoying bandana tied around my head that is still at least less annoying than the hair it’s keeping out of my face. Considering I’m in college I should probably either be out partying or in the library studying. I mean, that’s what the stereotypes say anyway. But nope. I’m here writing on my blog because this is what I love doing (for all the moms out there, studying is definitely important and I will be doing my fair share of it promptly after I’m finished here).
Moving on. Today has been a pretty big day for me. For starters, I went to the gym first thing after I woke up (and of course after lying in bed for half an hour scrolling through social media on my cellular and convincing myself to get up and go workout). So that was a little out of the ordinary, because I usually workout at night, or not at all. Also, not only did I go to the gym first thing on a Saturday morning, but I decided to expand my variety of exercise, by boldly making my way to the weight training area after my usual cardio routine.
The weight training area is a place that is usually diligently avoided by me. The swole men, fearless girls, and hardcore athletes constantly dominate that area. There’s no place for there timid little me who doesn’t know how to work any of the machines and would probably appear as a weakling even if I did. However, I figured I was already at the gym at 10am on the weekend, I might as well take this abnormality to the next level. So it turns out I wasn’t quite the noob I thought myself to be, and I successfully performed the bicep workouts I set out to accomplish. And my future toned arms thank me.
Moral of the story: never underestimate the power of positive self-talk, and never don’t perform positive self-talk. How does this relate to my story so far, you might ask? Well. First of all. The whole gym part: If I hadn’t been convincing myself this morning to go to the gym, telling myself that working out is healthy and good, I would’ve been in bed all morning. Therefore, been lazy and unproductive, and missing out on a gloriously sweaty cardio workout that flooded my body with endorphins and boosted my attitude, productivity, and metabolism for the rest of the day. Also, if I hadn’t been positively self-talking about going to the weight room, I would not have completed a satisfying bicep workout, as well as been inspired to go to the weight room more often because I discovered this morning I belong there just as much as anyone else.
Second of all, I had wanted to start a blog for a while, maybe a year or so. The reason I never did until now, was because of all the negative self talk that happened every time I considered it (i.e. “No one is going to read your blog, Cass.”, “No one cares enough about your life and what you have to say to read about it”, “It’s not going to be successful or make an impact on anyone so why even start”) Finally, I just thought, “The heck with it! I’m in college, I can do it if I want. If people don’t like it, they won’t read it. If they do, they will. It’ll be fine. It may even grow to be hugely successful and encourage tons of people to reach their full potential and live life to the fullest” (*fingers crossed fingers crossed fingers crossed*) So I did. I started my blog and I love it, and even if only a few people read and enjoy it, that’s good enough for me.
Well this blog has brought about even bigger dreams for me. After only a few days as a blogger, I am now aspiring to be a writer and motivational speaker as well (in addition to being a nurse, or course.) I have found a new passion in doing something that for years I told myself not to do. All day I’ve been almost too excited to study (which is still going to happen eventually I promise) because I’ve been researching how to become a speaker/writer and reaching out to people who I’m hoping know other people who can help me. I’ve honestly been giddy the entire day at the thought of accomplishing this dream of mine, which came about through the results of my positive self-talk.
So once again, I warn you all to prepare yourselves for my excitable outbursts of plans for my future speaking/writing, but also I challenge anyone who may have their doubts, to watch my hopes for the future come to fruition. Not only do I have the motivation and determination (*cough* Disney original movie Game Plan reference, anyone..?) to accomplish my goals, but I also have my secret weapon (not so secret anymore as I have just basically advertised it all over this entire blog entry)– my positive self-talk! Numerous studies have shown how positive self-talk actually broadens your sense of possibilities and opens your mind up to more options, as well as aiding in the achievement of doing what you tell yourself you can do. I don’t really feel the urge to copy down a whole study and site it here, but I will tell a short story as an example: There was a guy once who was in a challenging class in college and on his first exam he did pretty horribly. After that he told his buddy that on the next exam he was going to get 94%. His friend didn’t believe him, but the guy went on to study and work hard, all the while repeating to himself “I am going to get 94, I am going to get 94.” And wonder of wonders, he got exactly a 94% on his second exam. Also, may I assume we all know the story of the Little Engine That Could? The little train in the children’s storybooks who is hauling all the toys up the huge hill saying “I think I can, I think I can, I know I can, I know I can.” And of course the train makes it up the hill and all the boys and girls get their toys and they all live happily, the end.
Thinking about this, it all makes sense. If you want to do something, you need people to believe in you. If want people to believe in you, you have to first believe in yourself with all your heart. That is the only way anyone will get where they want to be in this world. So just try it out yourself. Whatever goal you have, to do well on a test, reach a fitness goal, become a speaker and travel the country to positively influence and love on hundreds of people, start by telling yourself every day that you can, and see what happens.
Ok. Well I feel this post has gone on long enough. Please take to heart what I have said though, and also pray for me as I set out to fulfill my newfound dream. Until my next post, stay sweet. (I am now going to hit the books as promised)
~Cassie
Cassidy Sangster 