When Someone Believes in You
By Steve Gahagen
It’s a powerful thing when someone else believes in you - when they see the possibilities and potential that you may be unsure of. I have been blessed to have people in my life at every stage who believed in me and what I could be. I don’t think we ever lose the need for someone to believe in us.
My wife just wrapped up a career in nursing. She was a phenomenal nurse with a passion to provide excellent care to all of her patients. She served moms and babies for decades. But when we first got married that would have been unimaginable. Not growing up in an affirming environment, Jane didn’t believe she had what it took to scale the academic requirements to become a nurse.
When we moved to Kansas City for me to pursue my graduate work, I encouraged her to apply to a program at Johnson County Community College. I believed in her. I knew she had talents far beyond what she could see at the time. And against all odds, she got in and thrived. I ended up being blessed too. Her job as an RN provided flexibility and income that allowed our family to do things that would not have been possible had she not pursued her dream.
Recently we had a handful of people make generous and sacrificial commitments of time and money to invest in Play to Your Strengths so that our work, especially with young people, could grow and flourish. With the national mental health crisis among teens, they believed this is a critical time to utilize the tools and programs of PTYS to help young people live their greatest story. Their willingness to rearrange their lives to invest in the cause is inspiring. When people believe in us or a cause we are leading, we grow in confidence and courage. Throughout my life, I have witnessed people willing to make deep sacrifices for a cause greater than themselves. Sacrifice is contagious and awakens people to the greater good in life.
Who has believed in you? Maybe they were a mentor of some kind and saw your potential and filled you with courage. It’s an amazing gift when someone believes in us.
As you look around your sphere of influence, is there someone who needs you to believe in them? Maybe you do but you’ve never told them. The world could be different if you identified three young people to consistently encourage. You could change their story and destiny.
Questions to Consider:
What happens to us when someone believes in us?
Who has demonstrated their belief in you and your potential?
Can you think of someone who could use someone to believe in them? How could you express your confidence in their possibilities?