Tag: Sonia Sotomayor

Are You Good Enough?

by Mershon Niesner

I assessed my goals, analyzed my outcomes, counted my wins. One proving ground only opened onto the next. Such is the life of a girl who can’t stop wondering, “Am I good enough?” From Becoming by Michelle Obama 

Whenever I read an autobiographical memoir like Becoming, I’m encouraged to learn that the human condition of self-doubt is experienced by all. Am I good enough? was a common question Michelle Obama asked herself throughout her childhood and well into her professional life as a successful attorney. 

The world frequently looks at an accomplished woman and thinks she has always been confident and had an easy path. This is rarely the truth. Check out My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor and many others. Determination, hard work, and pushing through disbelief on the part of others and yourself is what pays off. Hang in there.

Affirmation: I am good enough.

Coaching questions: How will/did you overcome the Am I good enough question? To whom do you turn for encouragement when self doubt creeps in? What is one thing you can do to move towards I AM good enough? 

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Building Muscles

by Mershon Niesner

There are uses to adversity, and they don’t reveal themselves until tested. Whether it’s serious illness, financial hardship, or the simple constraint of parents who speak limited English, difficulty can tap unexpected strengths. Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

I believe the growth spurts of my life have been when adversity has reared its ugly head. At times the testing tapped into unexpected or latent strengths, as Justice Sotomayor suggests, and, at others, adversity created a Me who was stronger than before.

When I go to the gym, my exertion on the muscle building machines tears down my muscle so that when it repairs itself, it is bigger and stronger. I believe this is what happens when life brings us challenges. We are temporarily torn only to grow again,  stronger than ever.

Affirmation: I am strong.

Coaching questions: In what ways have you been tested? In what ways has the testing changed you?