Thursday Thought

¨There were all kinds of things of which I was afraid at first, but by acting as if I was not afraid I gradually ceased to be afraid.¨

Theodore Roosevelt quoted in The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin

When I first started supervising, I was afraid that I might not enjoy it or be good at it - that I might not measure up as the ¨boss¨. So I used the old trick ¨fake it, til you make it¨, put on a smile, stood tall, spoke loud and clear (even when asking someone for help), and in the process convinced myself that I really could do it.

The first long trip that Trent and I went on with Rock Lobster was to Gig Harbor. It was a windy day and I was terrified by how far I had to reach for the tiller and how much the boat was heeling over, wondering if I was going to go overboard. I kept telling myself that we probably wouldn't die and tried to hide my panic. I don't know that I was entirely successful, but I kept at it and my heart no longer palpitates when Trent goes down below to put on an extra layer of clothing or grab a snack for us.

The first time I taught a class to childcare providers, I calmed my nerves before the class with power poses - the superwoman and V for victory. I listened to my one of favorite pre-storytime CDs and told myself that they'd learn a lot and have fun doing it (and judging from the evaluations, they did).

I'm 70 pages into the 750 page book (plus 150 pages of notes, index, etc.) and I can't wait to see what other words of wisdom I can cull from my other favorite Roosevelt.