With the new year upon us, many people are taking the time to reflect on the past and imagine what the future holds. If we are wise, we will celebrate the best of last year and learn from the rest. As we look forward to what is coming, we have an opportunity to reset our expectations. While there are a million and one ways to do this, there is one surefire way to start the year off on the right foot.
A wonderful way to get the year moving in the right direction is to expect the best from life. Expecting the best can be scary. You might think it foolish to be so naïve as to imagine that you are worthy of the best. This is nonsense. Now is the perfect time to release those old limiting beliefs and affirm your own worthiness. By expecting the best you open up to a new world of possibilities for yourself.
I worked with a student who was struggling in all of his academic classes. He had become accustomed to failing. As a result, he had developed the belief that he was incapable of success. With no hope for success, he often checked out when things got challenging. Fortunately, there is another way to do things and we worked together to create new ideas about what was possible for him. His job was to dump those old stories about why he was destined to fail and start expecting better results.
It was a joy to watch this young man change his view of himself. As he applied himself, he started to get better scores on assignments. This inspired him to study more. As he studied more, his grades improved. Soon he was passing his classes, and even getting A’s and B’s in some. Over time, he became the hardest working student I know. While he still faced challenges, he had set his expectations higher. He was motivated to do his best because he believed that success was possible.
This is the perfect time to take a deep breath and admit that underestimating your potential does not feel good. By admitting this, you open up to a new sense of possibility. It feels good to know that you have the ability to drop your old beliefs. It is refreshing to expect the best for yourself. It awakens within you the wonder of a child.
If you have been setting the bar too low and expecting anything less than the best, this is a reminder that you deserve better. You determine your own worth and you get to decide, again and again, that you are worthy of the best. What this means is personal to you. You will know you are on the right track when you look forward to the road ahead and feel enthusiasm bubbling up in your belly. These are certain indicators that your future will be bright.
Edward Biagiotti is the Inclusion Specialist for Culver City Unified School District. He is also the co-host of “Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed” podcast on iTunes. For questions, comments, and ideas for future columns, send an email to: EdwardBiagiotti@ccusd.org