703.875.0554 ~ megan@picturethisps.com
Picture This Photo Solutions, LLC
  • Home
  • About
    • Why Hire A Photo Organizer?
    • Happy Clients Are My Passion!
    • Let's Talk Pricing!
  • Services
    • Year In Hand Family Yearbooks
  • Blog
  • FAQ's
  • Gallery
  • In The Press
    • Let's Talk Live DC!
  • Inspirational Quotes
  • Contact

Believing In Yourself

10/20/2014

23 Comments

 
Picture
Alex Beadon threw out a tough challenge for Day 6 of her #FeelGoodBlogging challenge. We were asked to be vulnerable and share something about ourselves that might push us out of our comfort zones, but would ultimately allow our readers to learn even more about us. So let's dive in!

I was always a hard-working, dedicated student. Pretty much all straight A's from the get-go and by high school, was on a path towards all Honors and AP courses. That is, until my sophomore year. I was placed in the Honors English class and after turning in one of our first writing assignments our teacher announced to us that only a handful of us were "A" students, a few more were "B's" and the majority of us would be "C" & "D" students, according to her [highly subjective] opinion. At least that's my recollection of her speech. And you can imagine, for a girl who always strived for A's, this terrified me. But here's the thing about me, most definitely as a teenager, and even sometimes to this day: that rather than rising to her challenge, and BELIEVING IN MYSELF that I could get an A in her class, I shrunk in fear that I would get my first C or D. This had me in a state of panic, so much so that I arranged a meeting with her, my guidance counselor and my parents. The outcome of which was the decision to drop out of her class and return back to the non-Honors English class. That switch began a snowball effect that eroded my self-confidence, the belief in my intelligence and my academic abilities and by the time I graduated from high school, I was in NO Honors classes. I didn't even want to go to college, but wanted to pursue dance full-time.

Thankfully, my parents wouldn't hear of it and I did head off to James Madison University in August of 1990. It was there that I first encountered the notion that maybe my sophomore year Honors English teacher only had one opinion about my writing skills, not a hard fact. After turning in an essay about "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest," my college English professor called me to his office. I was terrified. I thought I was in for a lecture on my poor writing skills. Instead, he said to me, matter-of-factly, "Megan, this is the most well-written Freshman essay I've ever read." Can you guess my reply? "That can't be true. My high school English teacher told me I couldn't write well." I was shocked to say the least. And thankfully, he was very encouraging. But it has literally taken me decades to erase the doubt that ONE teacher planted in my mind and in which I so readily believed. I would give anything to go back to my carefree days as a young girl, when the world was my oyster and I hadn't given anyone else the power to erode my confidence.

Two things have occurred since then that have helped me start believing in my writing abilities again... first, in starting my own business and associated blog, I am regularly amazed at my own posts, how easily the words flow out of me and in a clear and coherent manner, no less. Second, I found out this year that my high school English teacher had passed away and I thought, a la Elsa, "OK. It's time to LET IT GO." I've allowed her opinion to eat away at my confidence for far too long. It's time to release her hold on me and move forward with the knowledge that I can, in fact, not only write, but write well.

We all have negative self-talk that erodes our confidence, instills guilt and makes us generally feel lousy. So today, try a dose of self-love. Try BELIEVING IN YOURSELF. Because the only opinion of you that truly matters in the end, is your own.

23 Comments
Sara link
10/20/2014 08:41:43 am

Thanks for sharing! I also was like that. I mean I was never a straight A I was the C/D student because I allowed myself to believe Thats where I belonged. So weird how the mind can work that way and fix it into you.

Reply
Megan link
10/20/2014 11:09:31 am

Thanks for reading, Sara! Yes, our minds are strange and wondrous things that can trick us into believing all sorts of "untruths" about ourselves.

Reply
Shreya
10/20/2014 09:13:08 am

I loved reading this. Your style of writing is captivating, and I'm glad you didn't give that up entirely. It would've been a waste.
It's so strange as to how vulnerable we become about our strongest qualities.

Reply
Megan link
10/20/2014 11:11:03 am

Hi Shreya! Thank you SO much! I appreciate the feedback on my writing. :) I still wish I was more of a "rise to the challenge" person vs. a "if they say i can't, i can't" kind of person, but awareness is the first step to changing, right? :)

Reply
Dana Buchmiller link
10/20/2014 09:30:17 am

Thanks so much for sharing this, Megan! It can be so easy to allows the words of others to get us down. Believing in ourselves is so important. And I love that you were able to snatch your love for writing back up, as it means I get to read your beautiful words now!

Reply
Megan link
10/20/2014 11:12:11 am

Thank you SO much, Dana! I really appreciate your kind words! Now that I have a little girl I am so much more aware of the outside influences that bring us down. I want to protect her as much as I possibly can! :)

Reply
Rikki link
10/20/2014 12:24:39 pm

Wow, this is so powerful. How one person really can shape us in such a defining way. I'm so happy to read that you're pushing through and following your passion. I look forward to reading so much more!

Reply
Megan link
10/21/2014 10:00:04 am

Thank you, Rikki! It is CRAZY how ONE person can affect your life so tremendously.

Reply
Christina link
10/20/2014 01:17:50 pm

Isn't it interesting how easily our minds can absorb the negative influence of others? Especially when the negativity comes from a teacher or a parent! I'm glad that your writing was given the recognition it deserves in college and I must say that I wholeheartedly disagree with your high school teacher - you are a great writer!

Xoxo,

Christina

Reply
Megan link
10/21/2014 10:00:59 am

Thanks, Christina! Yes, it truly amazes me how easily influenced I am. I do sometimes wish I had a stronger belief in myself, but I'm a work of progress. Aren't we all?

Reply
Kat link
10/21/2014 10:06:04 am

Oh my what a horrible English teacher you had. I'm so sorry you had that experience. I have a psychology background and one study that I loved was about how a teacher's belief in their students can make them become whatever it is the teacher believes. So for the study there was a control class where everything was normal. In the experimental class the teacher gave the ENTIRE classroom A's. No matter if they earned it or not. She treated the class like they were smarter than her other classes and told them so. She praised them continuously. Guess what happened? By the end of the first semester she started grading normally. Every SINGLE student became an A student. EVERY SINGLE ONE. Think about that. She made them BELIEVE they were and they became it. Remember that! Someday you may need to inspire someone and unlike what happened to you, you know what you can do to inspire them to believe in themselves. By just believing in someone you can change their world.

I'm so glad you found someone in college that believed in you enough to finally allow you to believe in yourself. And look at your writing now! Awesome!

xoxo

Reply
Megan link
10/21/2014 01:11:47 pm

Thanks, Kat! I'll have to research that study. It sounds FASCINATING! And to think, my teacher did the EXACT opposite. ;)

Reply
Elizabeth Zimmerman link
10/21/2014 10:07:11 am

Good for you for letting it go!!! You are amazing! Do you still dance? :)

Reply
Megan link
10/21/2014 01:14:09 pm

Thanks, Elizabeth! I wish I could say yes, but at the moment, no. I'm still a dancer at heart, though. And have spontaneous dance parties with my kids. :) I have dreams to get back in the ballet studio some day, or at least return to Irish step dancing!

Reply
Arica link
10/21/2014 10:07:59 am

We most definitely share a similar experience and although it took you a little longer (although I wish I hadn't) I am glad that you believed in yourself again, because that is what's most important! :)

Arica, xxo
www.varnakandlollies.com

Reply
Megan link
10/21/2014 01:12:43 pm

Absolutely, Arica! Keep up the great writing and I can't wait to see your children's book published some day!

Reply
Sinead link
10/21/2014 10:52:48 am

Lovely! I I'm glad you never gave up !

Keep believing in yourself =)
Sinead

Reply
Megan link
10/21/2014 01:14:56 pm

Thanks, Sinead! I'll try my best! :)

Reply
Azahar Aguilar
10/21/2014 11:45:30 am

Wow - this was such a powerful post! Thank you so much for sharing this - I think we all have that moment where someone states an opinion and we shoulder it as our identity. What a great reminder to shed that negative thought process and build a strong one in its place! I can't wait to read more! xo, Azahar

Reply
Megan link
10/21/2014 01:16:01 pm

Thank you, Azahar! I hope to instill a stronger backbone in my children so they aren't as easily swayed by the words of others! :)

Reply
Kimberly link
10/23/2014 06:21:58 pm

This post was amazing!!! I am appalled a teacher would do such a thing!!! My husband is an English teacher and I just can't believe that. Teaching is about caring and loving. Maybe teaching was not right for her! I am so proud that you have gotten your confidence back. Your wrwritwriting is definitely awesome! Go you!!!

Reply
Megan link
10/24/2014 07:50:41 am

Thank you SOOO much, Kimberly! I have NO idea what motivated her to knock her students down as she did.... but it's all in the past and I've thankfully overcome her negativity. Hooray! :)

Reply
roxanne link
11/2/2014 08:50:26 am

Thanks for sharing Megan! I enjoyed reading through your Alex Beadon Blog Post challenges. Keep it up!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    About Me

    I'm an APPO-certified personal photo organizer with a passion for helping people protect and share their family photos.

    Instagram

    RSS Feed

    Don't Miss A Post!

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Archives

    February 2018
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    April 2016
    February 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    February 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    9-11
    9-11-01
    Archival
    Archival Storage
    Archiving
    Art
    Autobiography
    Backing Up
    Bloggers
    Blogging
    Blogs
    Business
    Canvas Wall Art
    Canvas Wall Art
    Catastrophe
    Children
    College
    Comparison
    Confidence
    Custom Gift
    Dc
    DC Metro Area
    Digital Asset Preservation
    Digital Assets
    Digital Photo Books
    Digital Photo Organizing
    Digital Slideshows
    Digital Yearbooks
    Downsizing
    Entrepreneurs
    External Hard Drive
    Family Blogs
    Family Yearbooks
    Femworking
    Fotobridge
    Girl Power
    Graduates
    Graduation
    Grief
    Grieving
    Gymnastics
    Holiday Gifts
    Holidays
    Inheritance
    Inner Beauty
    Inspiration
    Leads
    Legacy
    Life Books
    Memories
    Natural Disaster
    Networking
    New Clients
    New Year's Resolution
    Nyc
    Organization
    Parenting
    Parents
    Pentagon
    Photo Books
    Photo Canvas
    Photo Collage
    Photo Gifts
    Photographer
    Photography
    Photo Memories
    Photo Memories
    Photo Mugs
    Photo Organizer
    Photo Organizing
    Photo Prints
    Photo Products
    Photos
    Photo Wallpaper
    Posters
    Preservation
    Privacy
    Reflections
    Scanning
    Scary Mommy
    School
    Security
    Self Confidence
    Self-confidence
    Self Esteem
    Seniors
    September 11th
    Shared Sites
    Slideshow
    Small Business
    Special Offers
    Storage
    Storage Bins
    Storytelling
    Toys
    Traditional Photo Album
    Wall Art
    Washington DC
    Women
    World Trade Center
    Yearbooks
    Yoga Studio

    RSS Feed

© 2019 Picture This Photo Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved.