Driving home from our first District Leadership Camp as a team, I find myself stuck in my head. Instead of thinking about all of the amazing members I had met, the campfire swing dances, or even the infamous Dutch Oven Cook-Off- all I could think about was what I could have done better. Could I have facilitated it better? Could I have cheered louder or danced harder? These doubts swarmed my mind. Now I will be the first one to say that nothing anyone does will ever be perfect, there’s always room for growth and improvement. That being said, there is a big difference between a growth mindset and a spiral of self-criticism. The excessive negativity can feel like a dark cloud on even the sunniest of days, so how can we break out of this mindset in favor of fair weather?
On this specific day, driving home from camp, I knew that my mindset wasn’t preparing me for my next camp to be better. Instead of staying in the cloud of negativity I had created for myself, I chose to pull out my pocketful of sunshine. I chose to celebrate the members I met. I chose to celebrate that we had completed our first camp together as a full team. I chose to celebrate every good thing that I could possibly think of. When you find yourself in a negative mindset, celebrate the little things. From a yummy surprise to your favorite color straw, to Christmas in July or even a flower on the sidewalk, there’s always something to make any day brighter.
As you head into fairs and summer jobs, I urge you to celebrate everything you can. Find yourself some sunshine to keep in your pocket and share it often.
With Love,
Brekkan Richardson, State Treasurer
