My friend Rachael is such an inspiration to me. The woman manages to do and be so many things and makes it seem effortless. She and I have been dealing with some similar struggles lately (more on that tomorrow) and her most recent blog post was weirdly therapeutic for me. On the one hand, it was good to know that even she feels inadequate sometimes, but on the other hand, it was refreshing to read her list of things she knows she is good at. Because she is good at those things! And why shouldn’t she recognize and acknowledge that?
I am good at things, too. I am! And in the interest of facing some of my insecurities and helping myself stop focusing on all the things I feel I’m failing at–and also because you know I love me a good list–here are ten things I am good at.
1) I am a good teacher. Teaching comes naturally to me–maybe it’s the know-it-all-oldest-child in me–and I love doing it. I take great pride in helping others have “aha!” moments, leading enlightening discussions, and putting a new spin on old material.
2) I am a good critic. I will probably never be a designer or performer or entrepreneur or any number of other things, but I have a good eye for a job well done. That goes for visual and performing arts as well as business ventures, relationships, and all kinds of other fields. I can see what improvements could be made, what questions should be asked, what to throw away and what to build on. I probably would have been a great efficiency expert, restaurant/movie/art critic, life coach…really anything that requires one to be aware of and honest about what is good and what isn’t.
3) I am a good cook. Baking pies and cakes and things is my favorite, but I also make great fried chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, and even though it doesn’t really count as “cooking”, I throw together some pretty delicious salads. This is a good thing, too, because making food for people is my love language.
4) I am good at giving compliments. I try to make a point of giving specific, unique compliments, and I am generous with them. Everyone loves to know they’re doing something right, so why not acknowledge when they do?
5) I am a good listener. If you need someone to complain to, or be happy with, or just another body you can talk at, I am your girl. I love hearing people’s stories and I love helping them feel like someone cares…because I do care. Which is part of being a good listener, I think.
6) I am good at meeting the physical needs of my family. I always have snacks when I know they’ll be needed. We have never run out of gas or toilet paper. My purse is stocked with toys, sippy cups, wipes, band-aids, gum, chapstick, diapers, tissues, and all kinds of other things you don’t realize you need until you need them. There is always clean laundry to wear, extra toothpaste in the cupboard, and cream for the inevitable mosquito bite. When they allow me to take care of them, my family is clean, healthy, and well-fed.
7) I am good at being consistent in my parenting. When I threaten Mila with certain consequences, I follow through. Our bedtime routine hasn’t changed dramatically in two and a half years. My girls know what to expect from me and I think we’re all happier for it.
8) I am good at communicating with my husband. This is something I have worked on over the last six years, since my tendency is to keep my thoughts to myself, especially when they are negative. But I have gotten really good at it. He knows my needs, not because he’s a mind reader, but because I tell him, and we are both happier for it. In fact, he just told me last night how grateful he is that I communicate honestly, openly, and frequently with him.
9) This is maybe a little weird, but I’m good at breastfeeding. Evidence: one twenty pound six-month-old who is still almost exclusively breastfed. I’ve never had problems with it–for which I am tremendously thankful–and even on my current medication, my supply is fantastic. In another time, I’d undoubtedly have been everyone’s favorite wet nurse.
10) I am good at singing in groups. I can hear and match other people’s tone, can easily pick out harmonies, and can blend my voice fairly seamlessly with the others.
Simply and silly as it might be, this little exercise has helped me feel better about myself the last couple days. Sometimes we need to consciously stop comparing our weaknesses to other people’s strengths and remind ourselves that we are enough. More than enough. We are awesome.
So what about you? What are you good at?
Jen, I loved reading this. I think it's so good for us to recognize our capabilities! So often I feel guilty if I think good things about myself or want to blog about them, because I think that I'm being prideful or oh gosh, blogs just make people feel bad…but you know what? It's not good for me to be harsh to myself either.
I loved reading your list because as I was going through I thought, "Hey! I'm good at that too!" or "Oh, I should work on that one." Lovely, my dear. And thanks for the kind shout-out. 🙂