Image: Flickr/wan mohd

“You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” (Michael Jordan)

Want to be a great parent? A great spouse? A great co-worker or boss or leader or teacher? Here’s your first step: expect that you can. Stop telling yourself that you can’t do this. Stop beating yourself up for the times you’ve screwed up. Those thoughts are the very things that are keeping you stuck.

Great things begin with you telling yourself that you are capable of being a mature adult. Tell yourself and then rise to the occasion by slowing things down when you find yourself in the heat of the moment. Then (and only then) you can respond rather than react to a stressful situation. It’s going to be hard, but each time you do it, you’ll get a little stronger and more equipped to handle whatever comes your way.

Go on…take that first step.