[title type=”h2″ class=”tfuse”]Step #2 to Becoming Awesome[/title]

Acknowledge the Awesomeness you have already achieved.

So you’ve decided to Be Awesome. This one choice has already elevated you out of descriptors such as “average” or “normal”. This next step is harder for some, but we can do it together.

As children we are taught about humility. How we should never brag about our accomplishments, lest we seem arrogant or entitled. Which is good advice, generally speaking, since doing what is socially acceptable when you are around normal folk can be important. But in our rush to be “normal” ourselves, many people end up learning this lesson too well. In our efforts to not appear narcissistic, we write off our accomplishments not only to our peers but to ourselves as well. “It’s no big deal,” we say, “anyone could have done it.” And then wonder why we feel mildly unhappy and unfulfilled with our lives.

But you are now different. You’ve decided to Be Awesome. This means you are free to take credit for the amazing things you’ve done in your life and tack them up on your proverbial refrigerator door like your Mom used to do. In fact, take a moment to write some of them down. Don’t worry, you are among friends! Everyone here knows we each have the capacity to be extraordinary, and celebrating our success is NOT the same thing as flagrant, childish bragging. It isn’t about saying “Look what I did that makes me better than you.” It is “Here are some examples of cool things I did, which any of you could also accomplish if you had the desire, now that you are faced with the reality that it is totally possible.” Here are some of mine:

– I’m an Eagle Scout.
– I was voted “Nurse of the Year” by my peers.
– I bungee jumped off an old decrepit bridge in the middle of nowhere in Taiwan.
– I ran a half marathon.
– I spent a shift at work in the hospital talking with and comforting a man the night before he died in surgery.
– I’ve watched the sun rise over Machu Picchu and Uluru, and set over Angkor Wat.
– I met Bette Midler while wearing only shoes and underwear.

Your list is hopefully longer than that. List every award and accommodation you’ve received. Include all the amazing places you’ve traveled and adventures you’ve taken. Add the times you’ve helped others, or been praised by your boss, or were in the right place at the right time to experience something remarkable.

The truth is that everyone does extraordinary things. We just rarely label it as such. But I want you to make your list, then review it again, and say to yourself with a smile, “I really am kind of awesome.”

This isn’t about narcissism or arrogance. When I say I think I’m awesome, it isn’t at the expense of anyone else. Everyone is capable of these extraordinary things. Being awesome doesn’t make me better than anyone else, because everyone can be just as awesome themselves if they want to be. But just because everyone can feel the same way, doesn’t mean I can’t or shouldn’t acknowledge it in myself. Let’s take credit for the choices we’ve made and the things we’ve done, and then use that to motivate ourselves to go even further.

I am Awesome. And so are you.

This is part of a six part series.
Start here: Intro
Continue here: Step 3: Assess