Lookin for the Good

This is my friend Rowan. He is fantastic! Inquisitive, observant, thoughtful, mischevious, determined. Rowan is 4 years old and he is learning how to dress himself. I was talking to his Mom this week on the phone. At one point she said, "Hold on a second." I heard some muffled words: "Good job Rowan- that looks great! Really good job." She came back on the phone and proceeded to tell me about what had just happened. As Rowan is learning to dress himself, most days he after he has done this, he then walks out to wherever other people are and stands there silently, with his hands at his side, waiting for someone to NOTICE that he has successfully dressed himself for the day. My friend and her husband make a point of noticing this and letting him know what a great job he has done, each time it happens.

I love this story because I'm just like Rowan. I'm growing and envisioning new goals for myself and wondering how I'm going to get there. Sometimes I fall into putting myself down for not getting there faster. But sometimes, lately, I realize the steps I've made in a certain direction, even if they are little. I think, "Wow, good job Carla!" It's not easy to grow. But as my eyes adjust to seeing the good instead of focusing on the failures, I realize that celebrating the good is a huge part of the fuel for me to keep growing. I used to feel guilty for celebrating myself, fearful of thinking "too highly" of myself. That old thinking is HISTORY (because it really doesn't work). The more we celebrate the good, the more the good will grow.

And tomorrow I get to hang out with Rowan. I'm excited.