Many years ago, in my first semester of college, my Nursing 101 professor asked a simple question after she overheard the anxious, fear-laced mumbling about our upcoming final exam. Leaning against the chalkboard with her hands softly interlaced, she asked what the mumbling was all about.
One student raised her hand and said, “A lot of us have never done this before. It’s our first year and we just don’t want to fail.”
She nodded her head, smiled and said, “You can focus on failing or you can focus on passing. Either way, the choice is yours.”
What I learned from Professor Madden is a lesson I’ve held onto throughout my life: the words we silently repeat shape how we see ourselves and shape your inner world. One choice can change the story and unlock new possibilities.
