Have I told to you lately you are awesome?

I was reminded of a quote that used to live on our fridge growing up.

My mum cut it out of our school’s newsletter, it literally sat on there until the last of her three daughters graduated high school.

It was Digby Wolfe’s poem, “Kids Who Are Different’.

“𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒛𝒚 𝒐𝒓 𝒅𝒖𝒎𝒃, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒕, 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒖𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒕, 𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒅𝒓𝒖𝒎…."

This poem in many ways was an anchor for me growing up, as a little girl I struggled in primary school. My parents were told by my year one teacher that I was a lovely girl, but I wouldn’t amount to anything more than a check out girl. What is wrong about working in retail? Absolutely nothing. 

However, my mum waited until I graduated university with my double degree to tell me that story.

My high school maths teacher told me I was dumb, because my brain just didn’t grasp the formulas of maths. But ask me to read a book at the speed of light (not as fast as Kath Day-Knight) and comprehend the storyline, I was your gal. 

As a parent now, it is hard to see our children struggling. In a world that expects so much from our children, I often ask how we arrived here? 

The pressure for children to be the best, then add in the external and internal pressures parents have, it can be a nightmare to navigate. 

Education is not a competition, nor is it a place to have such emphasis on what children aren’t doing well at. Learning, like children comes in different shapes, abilities and is as unique as their personalities.

We are quick to label and file our children into categories, when the reality of the modern world is, thinking outside the box is a skill of the future. 

 I recently posted on Linkedin about a recent speaker at the Decarbonisation Accelerated Summit, co-hosted by GW3, (my cool day job).

One of the comments made on my post mentioned it was an impressive trait to call out other people’s awesomeness.

I have never thought of that as a trait or a skill- for me calling out other people’s amazingness is second nature. Admiring someone else doesn’t dim your light, rather it expands the light when you allow others to shine.

There is a real skill in being able to see people, their talents, skills and their differences.  It is a wonderful equaliser and reminds us we have what it takes, because it is inside us. Sometimes we just need others or ourselves to call is out.

And maybe it isn’t what is seen as conventionally smart, but now more than ever we need people who see others and how they see the world differently.

There is this pressure that intelligence is found in textbook, how much we understand formulas, discourse theories, data or technology.

But the truth of it all, lies in ourselves and honouring what makes us different and admiring it.

Because when we do this as parents, we are encouraging our children to be the best version of who they are, not what others think they should be.

It links back to a quote I read this week- never admire quietly, tell others what you love about them.

We are so quick to think the worst at times, point out the flaws. We forget that for every shortcoming there is something utterly brilliant, mischievous, inspiring that our beautiful magic brains create.

And when we believe our brains are magic, it tells our heart to keep believing in ourselves. 

Continue to admire those around you.

Encourage your children to think outside what is possible.

All our differences are powerful.

As my mum continues to tell us-  “If we were all born the same it would be a pretty boring place”.

 Big Love 

Fallon xo