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Dear Reader,
I was feeling like a loser for a few days. Couldn't seem to shake the feeling and I couldn't figure out what was at the root of my distress. It wasn't a new feeling for me. There are things that haunt a person periodically--feeling like a loser is one of mine. Loser: out of my league, losing my edge, feeling like a failure, these are my personalized definitions.
Whenever loser becomes part of my identity I work hard to hide it--even from my husband. Because if I tell my husband, he tries to cheer me up--that part would be okay--but when I'm feeling bad, then my husband feels bad, too. He worries about me. I figure why have two of us feeling miserable, "This too shall pass." So instead, I walk hand-in-hand, alone with Suzanne, trying not to let anyone else know.
"I feel like a loser." It's definitely not an opening line that leaves a very good impression. Looking back, I can't think of one single time when it would have been in my best interest to have extended my hand and said, "Hello, I'm Suzanne Beecher, nice to meet you. I feel like a loser today."
On the other hand, I recently watched a movie and in one of the scenes there was an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting, and it got me to thinking that maybe hiding something makes a person feel worse. If you're not familiar with the AA meeting format, whenever anyone stands up to speak, the first line they deliver is, "Hello, I'm (Joe, Jane, or Julie, whatever their name) and I'm an alcoholic." I'm not sure why that protocol is followed in the meetings, but it felt inviting. So when I got up this morning and looked in the mirror, the first thing I said to myself was, "Hello, I'm Suzanne Beecher and I feel like a loser."
Hearing the words, suddenly my "loser" line wasn't as powerful as when I'd kept it hidden away. Saying the words out loud took the sting out of them, and surprisingly my self-proclamation didn't set a negative tone for the day. Instead it made my day easier. In fact, by the time I went to bed, the reflection in the mirror felt different and I was so relieved.
"Hello, I'm Suzanne Beecher and I don't feel like a loser anymore."
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
* Congratulations to the winners of Missionary Mom by Guest Author Shontell Brewer: Megan A., Sharon L., Noelle, Debora C. and Erin R.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
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