A Brief Reflection On the Power of Affirmation
It is both surprising and delightful to be, just now, in a place of being the recipient of consistent and genuine affirmation from a significant number of sources. And it is enlightening to observe the impact that this approbation has had, and continues to have, on my heart and mind. You know, the Bible says in Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Having experienced both the death and the life that are the fruit of what has been repeatedly spoken to me, I can attest to the truth of that passage. Finding myself in environments and relationships where I endured years—actually decades—of negative expectations, judgment of my values and actions, and contempt for my opinions and ideas, left me ineluctably demotivated, utterly depleted emotionally, and with a horribly poor self-image. The obvious reason for this was that, no matter what I did or how hard I tried, nothing was ever considered good ...