I judge myself far too severely while making an effort to think only the best of others. …and you know what? I keep finding that most people are the same way. Despite my fears of what everyone else thinks of me, I consistently am met with a level of understanding and respect that I never thought could be warranted. Sometimes it’s a respect greater than what I can give myself. Many of us have people in our lives who have closely supported us in this way through the years, but I find it’s the ones I’ve just briefly met that make the most potent impact. The random encounters with these people who believe in you are important; They can immediately see something amazing in you that we ourselves cannot see by our own effort—and they’ll express it in a way we have never recognized. It’s not enough to show gratitude for the subtle charisma they have toward us, we need to acknowledge and adopt their uplifting perspective as our own. Their interest in us can quickly become our strongest motivator. 

Take a moment to recall the times when someone showed an unexpected level of confidence in you. They don’t have to have spoken it directly to you—that’s great if they did—but often I can feel it by their presence alone…almost knowing it’s there.